Doomed Lovers Festival: Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet
Doomed Lovers Festival: Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde
welcome to the houston symphony
Dear Music Lover,
Welcome to Jones Hall in February, a month that brings rich musical storytelling reflecting the complexity of what it means to be human.
As we consider the past few months, I’m proud to note how deeply our artistic leadership continues to shape musical life both here and abroad. Music Director Juraj Valčuha has spent the fall and winter on the podium with major ensembles, bringing his thoughtful musical voice to audiences internationally. Notably, he conducted Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, a production that united an extraordinary creative team—dancers and collaborators alongside a scenography by performance artist Marina Abramović and costume design by Iris van Herpen—to present Debussy’s symbolist masterpiece. Juraj’s fall schedule also included performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI in Turin, Italy, and the SWR Symphony Orchestra in Stuttgart, Germany.
Alongside Juraj’s international projects, Principal POPS
Conductor Steven Reineke has had a busy fall as well, from appearances with Mandy Gonzalez and Megan Hilty and The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall to appearances with the Toronto Symphony and the National Symphony. Steven’s work continues to expand how orchestral music participates in contemporary cultural life, connecting symphonic traditions with a wide range of audiences. His perspective will be central to several of our February programs here in Jones Hall.
And as Houston remains well represented on the world stage, this month also brings an eclectic mix of musical experiences right here at home—beginning with Piano
Man: The Music of Billy Joel, featuring pianist and vocalist Tony DeSare with the Houston Symphony under Steven Reineke’s direction. Drawing on the songwriting of Billy Joel, this concert brings beloved songs into an orchestral setting that highlights voice, ensemble, and songcraft.
For families and listeners of all ages, our PNC Family Series continues with When Instruments Roamed the Earth, a sensory-friendly performance designed to welcome diverse audiences. Through playful storytelling and orchestral color, this concert offers children and parents an engaging first or second encounter with the orchestra.
At the heart of February is our Doomed Lovers Festival, a series conceived by Juraj Valčuha exploring love’s larger arcs through music. The festival opens with Symphonie espagnole + Symphonie fantastique, led by conductor Ryan Bancroft with violinist Clara-Jumi Kang.
The festival continues with Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, a work whose themes have resonated across generations, and culminates with Act II of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, led by Juraj and sung by a stellar cast, considered by many to be one of the greatest love duets in all of opera.
For a more intimate experience, our Chamber Music Series: Musician Spotlight presents works composed or arranged by members of the Houston Symphony. It’s an opportunity to hear the artistry of our musicians in settings that invite close listening and personal connection.
Thank you for joining us this month. Whether revisiting the familiar or encountering new musical worlds, your presence and support bring vital life to each performance. I’m grateful for your continued engagement, and I look forward to celebrating the rest of the season with you as we welcome spring.
Warm regards,
Gary Ginstling
Executive Director/CEO Margaret Alkek Williams Chair
PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
2025-26 se a son
P i an o M a n : T h e M u s i c o f B il l y J o e l
Fe br u a r y 6 , 7 * & 8
W h e n I n s t r u m e nt s Ro a m e d t h e
E a r t h
Fe br u a r y 7
Sy m p h on ie e s p a g n o l e +
Sy m p hon ie f a nt asti q u e
Fe br u a r y 1 3 , 14* & 1 5
Chamber Music Series: Musician Spotlight
Fe br u a r y 15
Tch a i kovs k y ’s Ro m e o a n d J u l ie t
Fe br u a r y 2 0, 2 1 * & 2 2
Wa g n e r ’s Tri s t a n a n d I so l d e
Fe br u a r y 28 & M a r c h 1
Mozart + Elgar’s Enigma Variations
M a r c h 1 3 , 14* & 1 5
Chamber Music Series: Springtime in Italy: Tchaikovsky & More March 15
B e et h ove n’s Fi f t h Symp ho ny +
T i m pa n i Wo r l d P r e m ie r e
M a r c h 2 0, 2 1* & 2 2
G r i eg ’s Pe e r G y nt
M a r c h 2 7, 28* & 2 9
S L a ng L a ng i n Re c it a l
A p r il 1
D isn ey s Fa nt a s i a i n C on c e r t
A p r il 3 & 4
S John Malkovich in The Music Critic
A p r il 1 4
S V í k i ng u r Ó l af s s o n i n Re c it a l
A p r il 1 7
A d a m s C on du c t s A d a m s &
A p p a l a c hi a n S p ri n g
A p r il 1 8 & 1 9*
I c o n : T h e Vo i c e s Th at C h a nge d M u s i c
A p r il 24 , 25* & 26
A b r ac a d a b r a ! A Ma g i c a l M u s i c a l
A d ve nt u r e
A p r il 25
S Chanticleer: Our American Journey
A p r il 28
S Disney & Pixar’s Toy Story in Concert May 2 & 3
J os h u a B e l l Ret u r n s : i n C on c e r t T h e El e m e nt s
M ay 7, 9* & 1 0
T h e Pl a ne t s
C o n c e r t o + Tcha i kovs k y ’s V i o li n
M ay 1 5 , 1 6* & 1 7
Chamber Music Series: Ethereal Transformations
May 17
Val č u h a C on du c t s M a hle r 9
M ay 2 2 , 2 3* & 24
L i g ht s ! C am e r a ! M u s ic ! 1 0 0 Ye a r s o f
E p i c Fil m S c o r e s M ay 2 9, 3 0* & 3 1
your symphony experience
JONES HALL
Since the opening of Jones Hall in 1966, millions of arts patrons have enjoyed countless musical and stage performances at the venue. Dominating an entire city block, Jones Hall features a stunning travertine marble facade, 66-foot ceilings, and a brilliantly lit grand entrance. Jones Hall is a monument to the memory of Jesse Holman Jones, a towering figure in Houston during the first half of the 20 th century.
CONCERT DISRUPTION
We strive to provide the best possible auditory experience of our world-class orchestra. Noise from phones, candy wrappers, and talking is distracting to the performers on stage and those around you. Please help us make everyone’s concert enjoyable by silencing electronic devices now and remaining quiet during the performance.
FOOD & DRINK POLICY
The Encore Café and in-hall bars are open for Symphony performances, and food and drink will be permitted in bar areas. Food is not permitted inside the auditorium. Patrons may bring drinks into the auditorium for Bank of America POPS Series concerts and Symphony Specials. Drinks are not permitted inside the auditorium for Classical concerts.
LOST & FOUND
For lost and found inquiries, please contact Patron Experience Coordinator Lien Le during the performance. She also can be reached at lien.le@houstonsymphony.org. You may contact Houston First after the performances at 832.487.7050
“WHEN SHOULD I CLAP?”
It’s a question we hear often! Traditionally, audiences wait to applaud until the very end of a piece, especially when it has several sections (called movements). This allows the music to flow without interruption and helps the performers stay focused. If you’re unsure, a simple cue is when the conductor lowers their arms and turns toward the audience—that’s your signal the piece has finished. That said, there’s no wrong way to show your appreciation. If the music inspires you in the moment, don’t hesitate to clap! Your enthusiasm and energy are always welcome at the Symphony.
CHILDREN
Children ages six and up are welcome to all Classical, Bank of America POPS, and Symphony Special concerts. Children of all ages are welcome at PNC Family Series performances. Children must have a ticket for all ticketed events.
LATE SEATING
Each performance typically allows for late seating, which is scheduled in intervals and determined by the conductor. Our ushers and Patron Experience Coordinator will instruct you on when late seating is allowed.
TICKETS
Subscribers of five or more concerts may exchange their tickets at no cost. Tickets to Symphony Specials or single ticket purchases are ineligible for exchange or refund. If you are unable to make a performance, your ticket may be donated prior to the concert for a tax-donation receipt.
ESCANEE AQUÍ PARA VER TRADUCCIÓN AL ESPAÑOL
YOUR BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE SYMPHONY
DONOR BENEFITS
Houston Symphony Society Membership, including voting privileges at the Annual Meeting
Access to ticket pre-sales with early bird ticket email notifications
Subscription to Symphony Notes newsletter
Two complimentary drink coupons
Behind-the-scenes access: Group tour of Jones Hall (invitation for two)
Behind-the-scenes access: Private Rehearsal (invitation for two)
Exclusive event: Post-Concert Meet and Greet with an artist (invitation for two)
Poster signed by Principal POPS Conductor Steven Reineke
One-Time pass for the Virtuoso Lounge at any Houston Symphony Jones Hall Performance
Recognition in Symphony donor listings
Premier seating for Symphony concerts at Miller Outdoor Theatre (excludes July 4th)
Access to the Virtuoso Lounge at all Houston Symphony Jones Hall performances
Exclusive event: Meet the Orchestra Event (invitation for two)
SCAN TO CONTRIBUTE!
Your generosity opens the door to exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences—from private rehearsals to intimate events with our musicians. Make a gift to hear the music take shape, meet the musicians, and feel the energy of Jones Hall from a whole new perspective.
EXPERIENCE THE MUSIC BEYOND THE STAGE—MAKE A MEANINGFUL DONATION TO THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY TODAY!
P.S. Every gift brings you closer to the heart of the music. Do not miss your chance to experience the Symphony from the inside—scan the QR code and make your contribution today!
Juraj valČuha
Houston Symphony Music Director Juraj Valčuha is recognized for his effortless expressiveness and depth of musicianship. He is known for his sharp baton technique, natural stage presence, and the impressive ease of his interpretations that translate even the most complex scores into immersive experiences.
Before joining the Houston Symphony in June 2022, Valčuha was Music Director of the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, from 2016 to 2022 and first guest conductor of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin. He was Chief Conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI from 2009 to 2016. In 2023, he assumed the post of Principal Guest Conductor of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra.
The 2005–06 Season marked the start of his international career on the podium of the Orchestre National de France followed by remarkable debuts in the United Kingdom with the Philharmonia London, in Germany with the Munich Philharmonic, in the United States with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and in Italy with Puccini’s La bohème in Bologna.
He has since led the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, Munich Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw, Rotterdam Philharmonic,
Music Director
Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair
Orchestre de Paris, Maggio Musicale in Florence, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Rome, Milan’s Filarmonica della Scala, Montréal Symphony, and the NHK and Yomiuri orchestras in Tokyo.
He enjoys regular collaborations with the Pittsburgh and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, the San Francisco Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. International touring with the Orchestra Sinfonica della RAI took them to the Musikverein in Vienna, Philharmonie in Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Zurich, and Munich; to the Enesco Festival in Bucharest; and to the Abu Dhabi Classics. With the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, he visited Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn to mark the 100 th anniversary of the Baltic nations.
Valčuha champions the compositions of living composers and programs contemporary pieces in most of his concerts. He has conducted world premieres, including Christopher Rouse’s Supplica with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Steven Mackey’s violin concerto with Leila Josefowicz and the BBC Symphony in Manchester, and Nico Muhly’s Bright Idea with the Houston Symphony. In 2005, he conducted, in the presence of the composer, Steve Reich’s Four Seasons at the Melos-Ethos Festival in Bratislava. Other composers he has supported and
continues to follow with interest are Bryce Dessner, Steven Stucky, Andrew Norman, James MacMillan, Luca Francesconi, Anna Thorvaldsdóttir, Anna Clyne, Julia Wolfe, and Jessie Montgomery, among others.
Including his engagements in Houston, the 2023–24 Season took him to the Pittsburgh and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, San Francisco Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra as well as to the Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra in Tokyo. On the European stage, he performed La fanciulla del West and Tristan und Isolde at the Bavarian State Opera and at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Jenůfa at the Opera di Roma. He led concerts with the RAI Orchestra, the Orchestra dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia, the Orchestre National de France, the NDR, SWR, and the Bamberg Symphony, among others.
In the 2024–25 Season, Valčuha joined the Semperoper in Dresden with Strauss’s Salome as well as the Paris Opéra Bastille with Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen and the Deutsche Oper Berlin with Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame. In addition to his concerts with the Houston Symphony, he returned to the Munich Philharmonic, the Orchestre National de France, the London Philharmonic, the Berlin Konzerthaus Orchester, the San Francisco Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and the Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra in Tokyo.
The 2025–26 Season marks his fourth season with the Houston Symphony. His guest engagements will lead him to the San Francisco, Chicago, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras. In Europe, he will join the Orchestre National de France, the Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin, the Bamberg Symphony, the Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome, the Basque National Orchestra, the NDR Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and on tour, and the RAI National Orchestra in Turin. On the opera stage, he will conduct Pelleas et Mélisande at the Geneva Opera as well as Don Carlo and La bohème at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Born in Bratislava, Slovakia, Valčuha studied composition and conducting in his birthplace, then at the conservatory in St. Petersburg (with Ilya Musin), and finally, at the Conservatoire Supérieur de la Musique in Paris.
ORCHESTRA ROSTER
Juraj Valčuha
Music Director
Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair
FIRST VIOLIN
Yoonshin Song, Concertmaster
Max Levine Chair
Vacant, Associate Concertmaster
Ellen E. Kelley Chair
Boson Mo, Assistant Concertmaster
Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster Fondren Foundation Chair
Marina Brubaker*
Tong Yan
Rodica Gonzalez*
Ferenc Illenyi
Si-Yang Lao
Christopher Neal
Sergei Galperin
James Gikas+
Tianxu Liu+
Samuel Park+
Timothy Peters+
Arutyun Piloyan+
Teresa Wang+
SECOND VIOLIN
Vacant, Principal
Vacant, Associate Principal
Amy Semes
Annie Kuan-Yu Chen
Mihaela Frusina
Jing Zheng
Anastasia Iglesias
Tina Zhang*
Yankı Karataş
Hannah Duncan
Alexandros Sakarellos
Zubaida Azezi+
Hanna Hyrbkova+
VIOLA
Joan DerHovsepian, Principal
Wei Jiang, Acting Associate Principal
Samuel Pedersen, Assistant Principal
Paul Aguilar
Sheldon Person
Fay Shapiro
Keoni Bolding
Jimmy Cunningham
Meredith Harris+
Yvonne Smith+
CELLO
Brinton Averil Smith, Principal
Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Chair
Christopher French, Associate Principal
Jane and Robert Cizik Chair
Anthony Kitai
Louis-Marie Fardet
Jeffrey Butler
Maki Kubota
Xiao Wong
Charles Seo
Jeremy Kreutz
COMMUNITY-EMBEDDED MUSICIAN
Lindsey Baggett, Violin
LIBRARIANS
Ali Verderber, Associate Librarian
Megan Fisher, Assistant Librarian
DOUBLE BASS
Robin Kesselman, Principal
Timothy Dilenschneider, Associate Principal
Steven Reineke, Principal POPS Conductor
Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Conductor Laureate
Anthony J. Maglione, Director, Houston Symphony Chorus
Gonzalo Farias, Associate Conductor
Andrew Pedersen, Assistant Principal
Eric Larson
Logan May
Burke Shaw
Donald Howey
Avery Weeks
FLUTE
Vacant, Principal
General Maurice Hirsch Chair
Matthew Roitstein, Associate Principal
Judy Dines
Kathryn Ladner
Douglas DeVries+
PICCOLO
Kathryn Ladner
OBOE
Jonathan Fischer, Principal
Lucy Binyon Stude Chair
Anne Leek, Associate Principal
Vacant
Adam Dinitz
Pablo Moreno+
ENGLISH HORN
Adam Dinitz
Barbara and Pat McCelvey Chair
CLARINET
Mark Nuccio, Principal
Bobbie Nau Chair
Vacant, Associate Principal
Christian Schubert
Alexander Potiomkin
Ben Freimuth+
E-FLAT CLARINET
Vacant
Ben Freimuth+
BASS CLARINET
Alexander Potiomkin
BASSOON
Rian Craypo, Principal
Isaac Schultz, Associate Principal
Elise Wagner
Adam Trussell
CONTRABASSOON
Adam Trussell
STAGE PERSONNEL
Stefan Stout, Stage Manager
José Rios, Assistant Stage Manager
Nicholas DiFonzo, Head Video Engineer
Justin Herriford, Head Audio Engineer
Connor Morrow, Head Stage Technician
Giancarlo Minotti, Audio Production Manager
HORN
William VerMeulen, Principal
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan
Endowed Chair
Robert Johnson, Associate Principal
Nathan Cloeter, Assistant Principal/Utility
Ian Mayton
Barbara J. Burger Chair
Brian Mangrum
Spencer Bay+
TRUMPET
Mark Hughes, Principal
George P. and Cynthia Woods
Mitchell Chair
John Parker, Associate Principal
Robert Walp, Assistant Principal
Richard Harris
TROMBONE
Nick Platoff, Principal
Bradley White, Associate Principal
Phillip Freeman
BASS TROMBONE
Phillip Freeman
TUBA
Dave Kirk, Principal
TIMPANI
Leonardo Soto, Principal
Matthew Strauss, Associate Principal
PERCUSSION
Brian Del Signore, Principal
Mark Griffith
Matthew Strauss
HARP
Allegra Lilly, Principal
KEYBOARD
Vacant, Principal
LIBRARIAN
Luke Bryson, Principal
*on leave + contracted substitute
SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OFFICERS
Barbara J. Burger President
John Rydman** Board Chair Chair, Artistic & Orchestra Affairs
Sippi Khurana, M.D. Chair, Education & Community Engagement
GOVERNING DIRECTORS
Gary Beauchamp
Eric Brueggeman
MK Campion
John Cassidy, M.D.
Khoa Dao
Lidiya Gold
TRUSTEES
Christopher Armstrong
David Balderston
David J. Beck
Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl
Nancy Shelton Bratic
Terry Ann Brown**
Ralph Burch
John T. Cater**
Robert Chanon
Heaven Chee
Michael H. Clark
Virginia Clark
Aoife Cunningham
Andrew Davis, Ph.D.
Denise Davis
Tracy Dieterich
Joan Duff
Kelli Cohen Fein
Jeffrey B. Firestone
Barbara McCelvey President-Elect Chair, Development
Mike S. Stude** Chair Emeritus
Mary Lynn Marks Chair, Volunteers & Special Events
Robert Orr Chair, Strategic Planning
Jesse B. Tutor** Chair, Audit
Janet F. Clark^ Immediate Past Chair
Steven P. Mach^ At-Large Member
Claudio Gutiérrez
Rick Jaramillo
David J. M. Key
Cindy Levit
Isabel Stude Lummis
Cora Sue Mach**
Lindsay Buchanan Fisher
Eugene A. Fong
Aggie L. Foster
Julia Anderson Frankel
Carolyn Gaidos
Andrew Gould
Lori Harrington
Pablo Hernandez SchmidtTophoff
Jeff Hiller
Grace Ho
Gary L. Hollingsworth
John W. Hutchinson
Brian James
Matthew Kades
I. Ray Kirk, M.D.
David Krieger
Matthew Loden
Kirby Lodholz
FOUNDATION FOR JONES HALL REPRESENTATIVES
Janet F. Clark
Paul Morico General Counsel
Jonathan Ayre Secretary Chair, Finance
Bobby Tudor^** At-Large Member
Leslie Nossaman^ President, Houston Symphony League
James H. Lee^ President, Houston Symphony Endowment
Juraj Valčuha^ Music Director
Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair
Gary Ginstling^
Executive Director/CEO
Margaret Alkek Williams Chair As of December 2, 2025
Barbara McCelvey
Rodney Margolis**
Elissa Martin
Chris Powers
Brittany Sakowitz
Ed Schneider
Justin Stenberg
Michael Mann, M.D.
Nancy Martin
Jack Matzer
Jackie Wolens Mazow
Aprill Nelson
Tim Ong
Edward Osterberg Jr.
Gloria G. Pryzant
Miwa Sakashita
Ted Sarosdy
Andrew Schwaitzberg
Helen Shaffer**
Becky Shaw
Robert B. Sloan, D.D., Theol.
Jim R. Smith
Miles O. Smith**
Quentin Smith
Tad Smith
Anthony Speier
Fredric Weber
Joan DerHovsepian^ Musician Representative
Mark Hughes^ Musician Representative
Jeremy Kreutz^ Musician Representative
Mark Nuccio^ Musician Representative
William J. Toomey II
Betty Tutor**
Robert Weiner
Margaret Alkek Williams**
Tina Raham Stewart
Nanako Tingleaf
Margaret Waisman, M.D.
Gretchen Watkins
Fredric A. Weber
Vicki West
Steven J. Williams
David J. Wuthrich
Ellen A. Yarrell
Robert Yekovich
EX-OFFICIO
Alejandro Gallardo
Reverend Ray Mackey, III
Frank F. Wilson IV
THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY ENDOWMENT A LEGACY THAT LASTS FOREVER
The Endowment is a permanent fund that helps secure the Houston Symphony’s financial footing for generations to come. When you give to the Endowment, your gift is invested and each year, about 5% of the Endowment’s value is given to the Symphony. These funds cover approximately 10% of our annual operating budget, ensuring that the Symphony has the resources it needs to deliver our world-class performances and deepen our work in the community.
WHY THE ENDOWMENT MATTERS
A strong Endowment helps the Symphony:
• Present exemplary concerts
• Attract orchestra musicians, conductors, and soloists of the highest caliber
• Keep ticket prices as affordable as possible
• Support local students and the community through free education and community engagement programs
• Persevere through difficult economic times, and much more!
Patrons looking for a mission to support through a lifetime of giving or with their estates should look no further than the Symphony. The Endowment will continue to be prudent guardians of their funds and will support all facets of the Symphony’s vision to create extraordinary musical experiences for all.
WAYS YOU CAN GIVE
• Endow your Annual Fund gift
• Include the Endowment in your estate plans
• Endow an orchestra chair
• Establish a named fund
For more information on the Endowment, contact Amanda Dinitz, Director of Principal Gifts and Endowment, at amanda.dinitz@houstonsymphony.org, or scan the QR code here:
James H. Lee, President of the Houston Symphony Endowment
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
LEADERSHIP GROUP
Gary Ginstling, Executive Director/CEO
Margaret Alkek Williams Chair
Elizabeth S. Condic, Chief Financial Officer
Vicky Dominguez, Chief Operating Officer
Rolanda Gregory, Chief Marketing Officer
Jennifer Renner, Chief Development Officer
Mayenne Minuit, Executive Assistant
DEVELOPMENT
Leanna Aldis, Manager, Foundation Relations
Sarah Bhalla, Board Relations Associate
Lauren Buchanan, Development Communications Manager
Alex Canales, Manager, Donor Services
Jessie De Arman, Development Associate, Gifts, Records, & Research
Milow Lozano, Ticketing Systems & Marketing Operations Specialist
Ciara Macaulay, Creative Director
Ashley Martinez, Patron Services Coordinator
Mariah Martinez, Email Marketing Coordinator
Casey Pearce, Graphic Design Manager
Aracely Quevedo, Patron Services Representative
Eric Skelly, Senior Director, Communications
Christian Sosa, Web Experience Director
Lily Townsend, Patron Services Representative
Alexa Ustaszewski, Manager, Revenue and Audience Insights
Sophie Volpe, Digital Content Specialist
Jenny Zuniga, Director, Patron Services
OPERATIONS | ARTISTIC
Stephanie Alla, Associate Director of Artistic Planning
Becky Brown, Associate Director of Orchestra Personnel
Juan Pablo Brand, Artistic Assistant
Ryan Diefenderfer, Concert Operations Assistant
Megan Fisher, Assistant Librarian
Michael Gorman, Director of Orchestra Personnel
Julia Hall, Assistant Director, Houston Symphony Chorus
Parker Hart, Concert Operations Manager
Adrian Hernandez, Concert Media Production Manager
Giancarlo Minotti, Audio Production Manager
José Rios, Assistant Stage Manager
Jennifer Romig, Interim Chorus Librarian
Brad Sayles, Senior Recording Engineer
Stefan Stout, Stage Manager
Nathan Trinkl, Artistic Assistant & Assistant to the Music Director
Ali Verderber, Associate Librarian
Meredith Williams, Director of Concert Operations
Rebecca Zabinski, Senior Director of Artistic Planning
DONOR SPOTLIGHT:
ERIC MCLAUGHLIN AND ELLIOT CASTILLO
“I don’t remember why I agreed to take eight years of piano lessons,” Houston Symphony donor Eric McLaughlin says with a laugh as he reminisces on his introduction to music. “I probably would have backed out earlier, but I didn’t realize that I could say no!” While his childhood piano lessons began with a genuine interest in learning to play, Eric soon realized that he had a fascination with the mastery and artistic discipline that comes with being a musician. “When someone has spent a lifetime studying, practicing, and performing their craft, it’s always worth watching or listening. That kind of nerdiness really draws me in.” It’s a perspective he has carried into adulthood, and this devotion to the craft inspired him and his partner, Elliot Castillo, to support the Symphony.
Eric and Elliot’s paths to music, and eventually philanthropy, were very different. A native Houstonian, Elliot originally joined his school’s choir when he was younger because it was the least expensive afterschool activity. However, he soon discovered a real love for singing. He continued developing his talent at Ithaca College and later in Memphis, where he studied voice. Today, Elliot has a successful career in real estate, but his worldview and work ethic took shape during his years in music. “Music ends up intersecting with a lot of unexpected places,” says Elliot. “I can go back to my training and pull from what I learned—whether it’s engaging clients or showing up to a meeting the same way you’d show up to rehearsal: fully prepared, on time, and early…there’s a ton of overlap.”
Eric’s first introduction to live music came when his childhood piano teacher pushed him to attend performances at nearby university venues in California, where he grew up. Those first concerts sparked a lifelong appreciation for music, whether classical works or Broadway musicals. When Eric, a physician specializing in emergency medicine, eventually relocated to Houston for work, he came to appreciate the city’s openness and cultural arts community.
Symphony concerts naturally became an important ritual in Eric and Elliot’s relationship and daily lives. They decided to become donors around five years ago, and their philanthropic philosophy centers on connection. They sponsor Principal Oboe Jonathan Fischer and deepening their relationships with the musicians has become a meaningful aspect of their support. “I think musician sponsorship is important because having been a musician, I understand the ebbs and flows of what that life looks like,” says Elliot. “Houston Symphony shows its artists there’s a donor base here that truly values them and shows up to support them.” They also regularly entertain in their beautiful studio and office space—an intimate, art-filled environment they love sharing with fellow music lovers. They’ve hosted several salon concerts and events there—one of their most recent being a private dinner with piano superstar Jean-Yves Thibaudet—but some of their favorite memories are simply seeing musicians perform outside of Jones Hall. “Having something that belongs in a hundred-million-dollar building downtown but instead bringing it here to our humble little space is just so cool,” shares Eric.
Although they describe themselves as “silent leaders,” their support at the Symphony has a widely felt impact. Eric and Elliot see giving back to the Symphony as both an honor and a responsibility. “I didn’t realize how many people were quietly working in the background to keep the arts alive so I could perform. I’m incredibly grateful to them,” says Elliot. “Music gave me a lifeline.” Together, they donate so future generations will have access to that same lifeline.
—Lauren Buchanan
Are you interested in supporting the Symphony like Eric and Elliot? Visit houstonsymphony.org/donate or scan the QR code:
Elliot Castillo and Eric McLaughlin
Featured Program
PIANO MAN: THE MUSIC OF BILLY JOEL
Steven Reineke, conductor
Tony DeSare, vocals and piano
Dylan Shamat, bass
Michael Klopp, drums
0:03 B. JOEL/ T. DeSARE – “Billy the Kid Prelude”
0:04 JOEL/DeSARE – “My Life”
0:03 JOEL/DeSARE – “Vienna”
0:03 JOEL/DeSARE – “Root Beer Rag”
0:04 JOEL/DeSARE– “She’s Always a Woman”
0:06 JOEL/DeSARE – “Miami 2017”
0:02 DeSARE – “East to the Sea (The Hampton Jitney Song)”
0:03 JOEL/DeSARE – “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)”
INTERMISSION
0:03 JOEL/DeSARE – “Nocturne”
0:04 JOEL/DeSARE – “Only the Good Die Young”
0:02 JOEL/DeSARE – “The Stranger”
0:03 JOEL/DeSARE – “Don’t Ask Me Why”
0:07 JOEL/DeSARE – “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”
0:03 DeSARE – “The Best You Can Give”
0:07 JOEL/DeSARE – “Big Shot”
0:07 JOEL/DeSARE – “Still Rock and Roll”
0:03 JOEL/DeSARE – “You May Be Right”
0:04 JOEL/DeSARE – “Piano Man”
About the Program
Friday, February 6
Saturday, February 7
Sunday, February 8
Program Insight
Jones Hall
Jones Hall & Livestream
Jones Hall
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
2 p.m.
They call him the “Piano Man” because of his evergreen 1973 hit song of that title, but there’s so much more to Billy Joel, one of the most successful and enduring artists in American popular music. He’s earned six Grammy Awards, seven honorary doctorates, and a Kennedy Center Honor; toured the world; and played a decade-long 104-show residency at Madison Square Garden, a record unlikely to be rivaled.
Though born in the Bronx, Joel is indelibly linked to Long Island, where his mother forced him to start piano lessons. Good call, Mom: Joel would grow up to become one of the most successful American musical artists of the modern era, releasing 12 hit albums between 1971 and 1993, as well as seven live albums, one of the bestselling Greatest Hits collections of all time, and even a collection of original classical compositions, Fantasies & Delusions, in 2001.
Those albums are chock full of songs we all know and love: “Just the Way You Are,” “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song),” “Vienna,” “Only the Good Die Young,” “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “Allentown,” “Uptown Girl”—the list goes on and on. And once again, we’ve got exactly the right charismatic star who can deliver those legendary hits in style: singing pianist extraordinaire Tony DeSare, a longtime friend of the Houston Symphony who’s been featured in thrilling past pops and jazz programs.
Joined by Principal POPS Conductor Steven Reineke and the Houston Symphony, DeSare promises a memorable occasion packed with keyboard thrills, silky-smooth vocals, and melodies you can’t help but sing along with. So sit back and get ready for a stellar show with our own “Piano Man,” and get yourself into a “New York State of Mind.”
—Steve Smith
Sponsors
Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Foundation through a special gift celebrating the Foundation�s 50 th anniversary in 2015 POPS Series Presenting Sponsor
Barbara J. Burger Guarantor
Program Bios
Steven Reineke, conductor
Meredith & Ben Marshall, sponsor
Steven Reineke is one of North America’s leading conductors of popular music and is in his second decade as Music Director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. He is the Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Principal POPS Conductor of the Houston and Toronto Symphony Orchestras.
Reineke is a frequent guest conductor and can be seen on the podium with the Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras.
On stage, Reineke creates and collaborates with a range of leading artists in hip-hop, R & B, Broadway, television, and rock, including Killer Mike, Maxwell, Common, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Ne-Yo, Bob Weir, Trey Anastasio, Barry Manilow, Cynthia Erivo, Ben Rector, Cody Fry, Sutton Foster, Amos Lee, Dispatch, Jason Mraz, and Ben Folds, amongst others. In 2024, he led the NSO on PBS’s Next at the Kennedy Center featuring Ben Folds DeClassified with Jacob Collier, Laufey, and
dodie. He was previously seen with the NSO on PBS’s Great Performances with hip-hop legend Nas performing his seminal album Illmatic. Reineke is the conductor on Ben Folds Live with The National Symphony Orchestra and William Shatner’s So Fragile, So Blue with The National Symphony Orchestra.
Reineke is the creator of hundreds of orchestral arrangements and his works are performed worldwide and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings. His symphonic works “Celebration Fanfare,” “Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” and “Casey at the Bat” are performed frequently in North America, including performances by the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. His “Sun Valley Festival Fanfare” was used to commemorate the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s pavilion, and his pieces “Festival Te Deum” and “Swan’s Island Sojourn” were debuted by the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras. His numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C.L. Barnhouse Company and are performed by concert bands perennially.
A native of Ohio, Reineke is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio (2020 Alumnus Distinguished Achievement Medal) where he earned Bachelor of Music degrees with honors in both trumpet performance and music composition. He currently resides in New York City with his husband, Eric Gabbard.
Tony DeSare, vocals and piano
Tony DeSare performs with infectious joy, wry playfulness, and robust musicality. Named a “Rising Star Male Vocalist” in DownBeat magazine, DeSare has garnered critical and popular acclaim for his concert performances throughout North America and abroad. From jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to Las Vegas headlining with Don Rickles and major symphony orchestras, DeSare has brought his fresh take on old-school class around the globe. DeSare has four top 10 Billboard jazz albums and has been featured on the CBS Early Show, NPR, A Prairie Home Companion, and the Today Show. His music has been posted by social media celebrity juggernaut, George Takei, and DeSare has also collaborated with YouTube icons Postmodern Jukebox. DeSare can be seen on Hulu’s Godfather of Harlem (season 3/Ep 9) performing the Sinatra classic “That’s Life.”
DeSare is an accomplished and award-winning composer. He not only won first place in the USA Songwriting Contest but has written the theme song for the motion picture, My Date With
Program Bios
Drew, several broadcast commercials, and has composed the full soundtracks for the Hallmark Channel’s Love Always, Santa and Lifetime’s A Welcome Home Christmas
DeSare’s forthcoming appearances this season include The Cleveland Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Seattle Symphony, The Phoenix Symphony, Grand Teton Music Festival, and Rockport Music.
New recordings, originals, and videos of standards are released regularly on DeSare’s YouTube
channel, Apple Music, and Spotify. Follow Tony on Facebook, Instagram, and subscribe on YouTube to stay connected.
Tony DeSare is a Yamaha Artist.
S:7.5" T:7.75"
Elevated Living Starts Here
A former concert pianist turned respected Houston Realtor, Anne Park, brings the same discipline, grace, and collaboration that defined her music career to real estate. For 17+ years, she has guided buyers, sellers, and investors with clarity, candor, and exceptional market knowledge.
A proud supporter of the Houston Symphony, Anne remains deeply connected to the arts community she calls home.
0:31 LALO – Symphonie espagnole for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 21
I. Allegro non troppo
II. Scherzando: Allegro molto
III. Intermezzo: Allegretto non troppo
IV. Andante
V. Rondo: Allegro
INTERMISSION
0:49 BERLIOZ – Symphonie fantastique, Opus 14
I. Rêveries, Passions
II. Un bal (A Ball)
III. Scène aux champs (In the Country)
IV. Marche au supplice (March to the Scaffold)
V. Songe d’une nuit du sabbat (Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath)
*Houston Symphony debut
About the Program
Friday, February 13
Saturday, February 14
Sunday, February 15
Program Insight
Jones Hall
Jones Hall & Livestream
Jones Hall
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
2 p.m.
The Houston Symphony begins its Doomed Lovers Festival with a colorful program featuring American guest conductor Ryan Bancroft. A native of Southern California, Bancroft currently serves as Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Chief Conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic. He has chosen to open the program with music by another Californian, Gabriella Smith. A passionate environmentalist and climate change advocate, Smith evokes the sounds of the Pacific Ocean at Point Reyes with remarkable realism in her breakthrough 2014 work, Tumblebird Contrails. Korean-German violinist Clara-Jumi Kang then joins the orchestra for her Houston Symphony debut with Lalo’s popular Symphonie espagnole, a virtuoso work influenced by the music of Spain.
Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique provides the “Doomed Lovers” connection: inspired by Berlioz’s celebrity crush on the Shakespearean actress Harriet Smithson, Symphonie fantastique is an expression of Romanticism at its most phantasmagorical—and a work that would influence virtually all of the other composers featured in the festival’s remaining two weekends.
For more passion, drama, and great music, don’t miss Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet (February 20, 21, and 22) and Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde (February 28 and March 1).
—Calvin Dotsey
Sponsors
The Classical Season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc. , in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham
Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Foundation through a special gift celebrating the Foundation�s 50 th anniversary in 2015
Program Notes
G. SMITH Tumblebird Contrails
Born Gabriella Smith
Year Composed
World Premiere
December 26, 1991
Berkeley, CA
2014 2014 Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
Marin Alsop (conductor)
Houston Symphony Premiere
2026
Ryan Bancroft (conductor)
A native of Berkeley, California, Gabriella Smith has emerged as one of the leading composers of her generation. Although she began studying the violin and composing at age seven, music was not her first passion: “As a teenager, I spent five years volunteering on a songbird monitoring and research project in Point Reyes,” she explained to the American Composers Forum in 2018. “My plan was to study related subjects in university and travel throughout the world working on projects researching ecosystems in various places, much like the biologists I worked with in Point Reyes who were my idols growing up.”
Encouraged by a piano teacher, she participated in the John Adams Young Composers Program in Berkeley, through which she was able to meet the acclaimed American composer. “I pestered him a little bit when I was a teenager,” she recalled in a 2019 interview with Musical America, bringing him all of her scores to look at and critique. To this day, Adams remains a champion of her work.
At 17, Smith won a place at the Curtis Institute, one of the United States’s leading conservatories. Even then, she thought that she might “still go back and do a degree in ecology.” It was at Curtis, however, that she found her voice as a composer, which combined environmental activism with adventurous and eclectic musical influences, including “In no particular order and leaving out many: Björk, Joni Mitchell, Bach, Pérotin, Byrd, Beethoven, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Ligeti, Bartók, Saariaho….” Smith has been particularly interested in using orchestral instruments in unconventional ways. Commissioned by the Pacific Harmony Foundation (John Adams and Deborah O’Grady) for the 2014 Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and premiered by the festival orchestra under Marin Alsop, Tumblebird Contrails was something of a breakthrough in her process of composing with extended techniques. “I realized I can just record myself doing them,” she explained to Adventures in Music. “Tumblebird Contrails was the first full orchestra piece that I wrote using this process where I recorded myself doing all the string techniques. Then for the winds and brass [...] I would sing those parts. [...] For the percussion, I’d go into the kitchen, get whatever pots and pans I could find and bang on them and record that. [...] I would improvise a layer, move things around, re-improvise and build everything that way [...] I loved the feeling of play that was part of that process rather than just being so serious and sitting down and writing a masterpiece.”
The result is a fresh, utterly captivating orchestral seascape. Regarding the content of the piece, Smith wrote, “Tumblebird Contrails is inspired by a single moment I experienced while backpacking in Point Reyes, sitting in the sand at the edge of the ocean, listening to the hallucinatory sounds of the Pacific (the keening gulls, pounding surf, rush of approaching waves, sizzle of sand and sea foam in receding tides), the constant ebb and flow of pitch to pitchless, tune to texture, grooving to free-flowing, watching a pair of ravens playing in the wind, rolling, swooping, diving, soaring—imagining the ecstasy of wind in the wings—jet
Program Notes
G. SMITH Tumblebird Contrails
LALO
Symphonie espagnole for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 21
trails painting never-ending streaks across the sky. The title, Tumblebird Contrails, is a Kerouac-inspired, nonsense phrase I invented to evoke the sound and feeling of the piece.”
—Calvin Dotsey
Born
Édouard Lalo Died Year Composed
World
Premiere Houston Symphony Premiere Most Recent Houston Symphony Performance
January 27, 1823 Lille, France
April 22, 1892 Paris, France
1874 1875
Paris, France
Pablo de Sarasate (violin)
1941
Ernst Hoffmann (conductor), Barbara Lull (violin)
2014
Andrés OrozcoEstrada (conductor), Frank Huang (violin)
Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole, the composer’s most famous work by far, immerses violin virtuosity in the vivid colors of Spain. It’s not deep, but it sure is delectable.
Lalo’s reputation chiefly rests on a single work: the Symphonie espagnole (“Spanish Symphony”) for Violin and Orchestra, composed in 1874. It deserves a place near the top of Spanish-flavored pieces by French composers, along with such works as Bizet’s Carmen, Chabrier’s España, and Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole. The surname Lalo is itself Spanish. The composer descended from ancient Spanish lineage, though the family had already dispersed to Flanders and Northern France in the 16th century. What’s more, he wrote this piece with a Spanish violinist in mind: the esteemed virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate, for whom Lalo had composed a violin concerto a year previously. That earlier work displayed nothing that can be considered explicitly Spanish in flavor, nor did it display much else that would ensure it a place in the active repertoire. The Symphonie espagnole could not be more different, and Sarasate scored a major hit when he brought his national insight to the interpretation of the score. Although it’s a characteristic concerto in the way it gives virtuosic prominence to the violin and plumbs the potential drama that exists in the contrast between the soloist and the orchestra, the Symphonie espagnole is not structured as most 19th-century concertos are. Instead of the normal three, or maybe four, movements, we have five. The Intermezzo was sometimes cut in times past, but it is almost always included in modern performances; nonetheless, the shortened form still lurks in older recordings.
Each of the five movements runs between six and eight minutes in length except for the second (Scherzando), which lasts only about four. The preludial movement sets the scene with stentorian grandeur, but after that the movement’s pace tends toward the lightweight and ingratiating, recalling the style of violin concertos by Wieniawski and Vieuxtemps. Rhythms and melodic turns that we are sure to recognize as Spanish pepper the piece, and the very famous finale infuses the spirit of Iberia into a delightful, quick-paced Rondo.
—James M. Keller
Program Notes
BERLIOZ
Symphonie fantastique, Opus 14
Hector Berlioz
Born
Died Year Composed
World Premiere
December 11, 1803
La Côte-SaintAndré, France
March 8, 1869 Rue de Calais, Paris, France
1830 1830 Paris, France Paris Conservatoire
The Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, François-Antoine Habeneck (conductor)
Houston Symphony
Premiere
Most Recent
Houston Symphony Performance
1948 Charles Munch (conductor)
2023
Juraj Valčuha (conductor)
Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique resulted from the composer’s fateful attraction to the Irish actress, Harriet Smithson, who portrayed Ophelia and Juliet in the first Parisian performances of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet in 1827. Ideas apparently fermented in his mind over the next two and one-half years, until the symphony was completed in 1830. Berlioz also devised a famous “program” describing (1) the “reveries and passions” he held for this woman, represented musically as an “idée fixe” (a musical theme that recurs throughout the symphony), (2) meeting her at a ball, (3) seeing and calling to her in a meadow, but receiving no reply, (4) dreaming he is being led to the scaffold, and (5) imagining he has been cast into hell amid demons and witches. Although Berlioz’s narrative pamphlet was later withdrawn, the symphony joined Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony in fostering a resurgence of descriptive program music throughout the 19th century. Musically, the symphony blends its wild tale with very progressive orchestral tendencies and very French concepts of melody and tone color. The long, lyrical melodic lines in the introduction and the main themes of the first three movements typify the song-like character of French melody. Bright, shimmering colors prevail in the orchestration—again a French trait—but the use of two harps in the second movement and orchestral chimes in the chilling fifth movement “Witches’ Sabbath” is nearly unprecedented in a symphony, as is the use of snare drums in the fatalistic “March to the Scaffold.” Berlioz also made special coloristic use of other unusual instruments: the English horn in the pastoral third movement “In the Country,” and the shrill E-flat clarinet in a mocking, distorted statement of the “idée fixe” toward the beginning of the “Witches’ Sabbath.”
Along with its lavish orchestral dress and its wild emotional tendencies, the Symphonie fantastique makes novel use of traditional, well-knit Viennese symphonic forms. Following the introduction, the first movement is a tightly composed sonata movement, obsessed so singlemindedly on the “idée fixe” theme of the elusive woman that other thematic ideas are mainly variants of it. The theme returns tantalizingly at the very end of the first movement coda and forms the entire Trio section of the billowing second movement Waltz. The “idée fixe” floats in and out of the idyllic music of the third movement “In the Country,” whose pastoral setting is flavored with a Swiss cowherd’s song, echoing between the English horn and oboe at the beginning, plus some rumblingthunder timpani rolls as the only answer when the English horn sounds the call at the end. The fourth movement “March to the Scaffold” seems to be constantly repeating its ominous theme, but Berlioz achieved variety by bringing each of its statements to a different conclusion. Again, the “idée fixe” appears in the clarinet just before the blade of the guillotine is loosed upon the artist’s neck. The closing diabolical “Witches’ Sabbath” is the most remarkable of the five movements, blending a parody of the “idée fixe,” a witches’ round dance, and the doom-laden “Dies Irae” plainchant from the Latin Mass of the Dead, replete with tolling chimes. All of this is fused into a well organized sonata
Program Notes
BERLIOZ
Symphonie fantastique, Opus 14
Program Bios
Ryan Bancroft, conductor
Raised in Los Angeles, conductor Ryan Bancroft has rapidly built an international career which takes him all over the globe working with many of the world’s leading orchestras. Since September 2021, Bancroft has been Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. In September 2023, he became Chief Conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic. He also holds the position of Artist-in-Association with the Tapiola Sinfonietta in Finland.
In August 2023, Bancroft returned to Los Angeles to make his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. In the 2025–26 Season, he conducts them at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, following on from his critically acclaimed debut at the venue in April 2025. Elsewhere in
movement involving some fairly rigorous contrapuntal procedures, but one that expresses a wild, emotionally willful character consistent with the scene described in Berlioz’s program.
—Carl R. Cunningham
the U.S. this season, he makes his debuts with the St. Louis and New World Symphony Orchestras, following recent successful debuts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco, and Dallas Symphony Orchestras. He has close relationships in Canada with the Toronto Symphony and National Arts Centre, Ottawa.
Since his success at the prestigious Malko Competition for Young Conductors in 2018, where he won both First Prize and Audience Prize, Bancroft has conducted a number of other leading European orchestras including the BBC Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Danish National Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, and Rai Torino.
Bancroft has a passion for contemporary music and has performed with Ensemble Intercontemporain and Amsterdam’s acclaimed Nieuw Ensemble; assisted Pierre Boulez in a performance of his Sur Incises in Los Angeles; premiered works by Sofia Gubaidulina, John Cage, and Anders Hillborg; and has
worked closely with improvisers such as Wadada Leo Smith and Charlie Haden.
Bancroft studied trumpet at the
Clara-Jumi Kang, violin
Regarded as one of the most outstanding violinists of her generation, Clara-Jumi Kang is celebrated for her exceptional musicality, technical mastery, and artistic depth. She has received numerous awards and accolades,
California Institute of the Arts, alongside additional studies in harp, flute, cello, and Ghanaian music and dance. He then went on to receive a Master of Music in orchestral conducting from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He continued his conducting studies in the Netherlands and is a graduate of the prestigious Nationale Master Orkestdirectie run jointly by the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. including First Prize at the 2010 Indianapolis International Violin Competition.
Program Bios
In the 2025–26 Season, Kang is Artist-in-Residence with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. As part of her residency, she will perform concertos by Lalo, Shostakovich, and Bernstein with Chief Conductor Ryan Bancroft. Other highlights this season include her subscription debut with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a tour with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and the Philharmonia Orchestra on their Korean tour.
Kang regularly appears at major international festivals including the BBC Proms, the Hollywood Bowl alongside the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Salzburg Festival, Verbier Festival, Edinburgh Festival, and the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo. In 2025, she
was the soloist for the WestEastern Divan Orchestra’s major tour to China and Europe with Zubin Mehta.
Kang has made two recordings for Decca: Modern Solo, featuring works by Schubert and Ysaÿe, and a Brahms-Schumann album with Yeol Eum Son. In 2021, she released a cycle of Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas with pianist Sunwook Kim.
A dedicated chamber musician, she collaborates with musicians including Martha Argerich, Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky, and Janine Jansen.
Born in Germany to Korean parents, Clara-Jumi Kang took up the violin at age three and a year later enrolled as the youngest-ever student at the Mannheim
Musikhochschule. She went on to study with Zakhar Bron at the Lübeck Musikhochschule and at age seven was awarded a full scholarship to The Julliard School to study with Dorothy Delay. Having received musical guidance from Barenboim starting from the age of 11, she was then invited to perform with him and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 12. She took her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the Korean National University of Arts under Nam-Yun Kim before completing her studies at the Munich Musikhochschule with Christoph Poppen.
Clara-Jumi Kang plays on the “Thunis” Stradivarius from 1702, on generous loan by KIA.
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Featured Program
Doomed Lovers Festival: Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet
Juraj Valčuha, conductor
*Alexi Kenney, violin
0:33 GUBAIDULINA – In tempus praesens, Concerto for Violin & Orchestra
INTERMISSION
0:05 HOLMÈS – La nuit et l’amour from Ludus pro patria
0:21 TCHAIKOVSKY – Romeo and Juliet, Overture-Fantasy
0:22 SCRIABIN – Le poème de l’extase (The Poem of Ecstasy), Opus 54
*Houston Symphony debut
About the Program
Friday, February 20
Saturday, February 21
Sunday, February 22
Program Insight
Jones Hall
Jones Hall & Livestream
Jones Hall
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
2 p.m.
The Houston Symphony’s Doomed Lovers Festival continues this weekend as Music Director Juraj Valčuha returns with a program full of passion, drama, and romance.
American violinist and Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient Alexi Kenney makes his Houston Symphony debut with Sofia Gubaidulina’s second violin concerto, In tempus praesens (“In the present tense”).
The program continues with “La nuit et l’amour” (“Night and Love”) by the late-19 th-century French composer Augusta Holmès, who was one of her era’s most remarkable musicians.
Long one of contemporary music’s most distinctive voices, Gubaidulina passed away in March 2025 at the age of 93. The Symphony is pleased to honor her with a performance of this gripping concerto, which represents a contemporary take on the traditional darkness-to-light musical journey.
The program concludes with two other works by Russian composers: Tchaikovsky’s iconic Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture and Scriabin’s mystically intoxicating The Poem of Ecstasy
If you enjoy this program, each of these composers was deeply influenced by the music of Wagner, whose own doomed lovers will be featured in the festival finale next weekend. Don’t miss a complete performance of Act II from Tristan und Isolde with opera stars Tamara Wilson and Stuart Skelton singing the titular characters’ transcendent love duet on February 28 and March 1.
—Calvin Dotsey
Sponsors
Fayez Sarofim Guest Violinist Fund , through an endowed fund created by The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts
The Classical Season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc. , in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham
Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Foundation through a special gift celebrating the Foundation�s 50 th anniversary in 2015
Program Notes
GUBAIDULINA
In tempus praesens, Concerto for Violin & Orchestra
Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina
Born
Died
Year
Composed World Premiere
October 24, 1931
Chistopol, Russia
March 13, 2025
Appen, Germany
2006 2007
Lucerne, Switzerland
Lucerne Festival
Berlin Philharmonic, Michael Tilson
Thomas (conductor), Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin)
Houston Symphony Premiere
2026
Juraj Valčuha (conductor)
Alexi Kenney (violin)
The world of contemporary music lost one of its most exceptional voices with the passing of Sofia Gubaidulina last March. Born in Chistopol in what was then the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic to a Tatar father and a Russian-Polish mother, Gubaidulina showed musical talent from an early age. After completing studies in piano and composition at the Kazan Conservatory in 1951, she transferred to the prestigious Moscow Conservatory. There, she caught the attention of Dmitri Shostakovich, who encouraged her to continue on her own path regardless of official criticism.
For decades, Gubaidulina made a living by composing film scores and music for children—safe options in the Soviet Union, where concert music and modern stylistic innovations could easily be politicized and censored. Her true calling, of course, was writing for the concert hall. She explained, “I write film music for six months, take a month off to recover my health and then write my own music for the rest of the year.” Her concert works combine a variety of influences, from contemporary European modernism to non-Western traditions, including the music of Tatarstan. Although the Soviet Union was officially atheistic, she also became interested in the Russian Orthodox religion, and wrote many works with explicitly religious themes. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Gubaidulina immigrated to the village of Appen in Germany, where she spent the rest of her life.
Her international career expanded significantly in the post-Soviet era, and she became recognized as one of our time’s most distinctive musical voices. She composed her second violin concerto, In tempus praesens, in 2007 for violinist Anne Sophie Mutter. Regarding the work, Gubaidulina wrote, “Just like many 20th-century creators, the problem of time concerns me to the greatest extent possible. I am concerned with how time changes in connection with the changing psychological conditions of man, how it elapses in nature, in the world, in society, in dreams, in art. Art is always situated between sleep and reality, between wisdom and folly, between the statics and dynamics of everything that exists. In ordinary life we never have present time, only the perpetual transition from the past to the future. And only in sleep, in the religious experience, and in art are we able to experience lasting present time. I think that musical form serves this very function: during its course it undergoes many events. A few of these turn out to be most important. (I call these architectonic nodes of form.) And they can make a kind of generalized shape, the shape of a pyramid, for example. (The episode of ritual sacrifice stands at the pinnacle of the pyramid of In tempus praesens.) The integral experiencing of this pyramidal form produces lasting present time. In tempus praesens—‘for the present time.’”
The concerto appears to be a contemporary interpretation of the traditional darkness-to-light plan which many composers explored in the post-Beethoven era. It begins by cycling through a series of potent musical ideas ranging from wailing violin solos to shimmering orchestral textures, uncanny whispers, and violent exclamations. This builds to a powerful central episode dominated by a drum-like tattoo that begins in the lower strings. This may be the pinnacle of her musical pyramid and
Program Notes
GUBAIDULINA
In tempus praesens, Concerto for Violin & Orchestra
the “episode of ritual sacrifice.” Given Gubaidulina’s religious orientation, this cryptic remark may refer to the crucifixion. Intense cadenzas for the soloist and percussion alternate with dramatic passages for the full orchestra, until the violinist ultimately finds the luminous sonorities of a D major triad, ending the work with a radiant ray of hope.
—Calvin Dotsey
HOLMÈS
La nuit et l’amour from Ludus pro patria
Holmès
December 16, 1847
Paris, France
January 28, 1903
Paris, France 1888 1888
Paris, France
Paris Conservatoire
The Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Jules Auguste Garcin (conductor)
Houston Symphony Premiere
2026
Juraj Valčuha (conductor)
Born in Paris to a retired Irish cavalry officer and an English mother, Augusta Holmès (she added the accent to “Holmes” after becoming a naturalized French citizen) was one of the most remarkable musical personalities of her era. Her childhood is somewhat shrouded in dubious rumors—that the poet Alfred de Vigny was her true father, that her mother forbade her to pursue music—rumors that Holmès herself often encouraged. What is certain is that she showed musical promise from an early age, and by 16 was making an impression in the salons of Paris.
Known for her beauty, she served as inspiration for the figure of the sea nymph Thetis in a Prix-de-Rome-winning painting by Henri Régnault. In a letter, Liszt praised one of her early works as “on par with Schubert’s finest inspirations.” She also made the acquaintance of Camille SaintSaëns, who offered her a marriage proposal which she declined, and later César Franck. Franck would serve as an important mentor to the young composer—an association which sparked false rumors that the two were having an affair. Her real love was for the poet Catulle Mendès, whom one contemporary described as “handsome as a fallen angel.” Having already made an ill-considered marriage to Judith Gautier (daughter of the poet Théophile Gautier), Mendès would never marry Holmès; nevertheless, they would remain together for 20 years and have five children. Renoir painted a large portrait of their three daughters that hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York today.
Musically, Holmès fell under the spell of Richard Wagner early on. At the time, Wagner was the most modern and controversial living composer—his opera Tannhäuser had caused a scandal when it was performed in Paris in 1861—but Holmès was inspired by his musical and theatrical innovations. Together with Mendès (and his wife), she visited the composer in Switzerland in 1869. Although she reevaluated the man after his inflammatory anti-French remarks during the Franco-Prussian War, she continued to be profoundly influenced by his music throughout her life.
In the 1880s, Holmès made a reputation by composing tone poems in support of oppressed nations, including Irlande (“Ireland”) and Pologne (“Poland”), in addition to patriotic French works. La nuit et l’amour (“Night and Love”) is drawn from an example of the latter. The piece is an excerpt from her cantata Ludus pro Patria (“Patriotic Games”), an 1888 work inspired by Puvis de Chavannes’s painting of the same name. Like Wagner, Holmès wrote the text she herself set to music. Before this purely orchestral interlude begins, the following verses set the scene: “Love! Inspiration of Fruitful Ecstasy!/Love! Conqueror of conquerors/
Program Notes
HOLMÈS
La nuit et l’amour from Ludus pro patria
Who makes the virgin blush at the touch of your wing, [...] / Join together lips and hearts!” Marked “Andante amoroso,” the piece combines Wagnerian orchestration with a characteristically French melody, which first appears in the cellos after a brief introduction. After a passionate, contrasting middle section, this main theme returns, fading to a dreamy coda.
—Calvin Dotsey
TCHAIKOVSKY
Romeo and Juliet, Overture-Fantasy
Born Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Died Year Composed World Premiere Houston Symphony Premiere Most Recent Houston Symphony Performance
May 7, 1840 Votkinsk, Russia
November 6, 1893 Saint Petersburg, Russia 1869 1870
Moscow, Russia
Lucerne Festival
Nikolai Rubinstein (conductor) 1936 Alfred Hertz (conductor) 2025 Anna Rakitina (conductor)
We often imagine that artistic geniuses are solitary creatures who do their best work alone, but this is not always so; in some instances, collaboration and constructive criticism prove instrumental in the genesis of a masterpiece.
Such is the case with Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, one of the composer’s first mature works. We owe the piece to Mily Balakirev, the leader of a group of composers in St. Petersburg known as “the Five” that most notably included Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Modest Mussorgsky, and Alexander Borodin. Balakirev suggested composing a piece based on Shakespeare’s play to Tchaikovsky while visiting Moscow during the summer of 1869, and Tchaikovsky took to the idea immediately; as a closeted gay man living in 19th-century Russia, it is easy to see how the classic story of forbidden love would have had parallels in his own life.
Initially, however, he struggled with writer’s block. He wrote to Balakirev, “I am played out completely, and not a single tolerable little musical idea will creep into my head.” In response, Balakirev sent him a detailed plan: a slow introduction would depict Friar Lawrence; a fast, stormy theme the vendetta between the Montagues and Capulets; a contrasting, lyrical melody would evoke the young lovers; and the ensuing development, reprise of the main themes, and coda would suggest the outline of the tragedy. Balakirev’s suggestions seemed just the stimulus Tchaikovsky needed, and Tchaikovsky produced a piece that followed Balakirev’s plan to the letter.
The premiere of this first version took place in Moscow in March 1870, but remarkably, it failed to make an impression. “My overture had no success whatever here,” Tchaikovsky wrote to a friend. Balakirev urged revisions, and during the summer of 1870, Tchaikovsky made substantial changes to the overture-fantasy. This brought the piece much closer to what we know today, but Balakirev was still unsatisfied, writing, “I feel strongly that you need to make further revisions to the overture, and not just to wave your hand at it, and hope for the best in your future compositions.”
Tchaikovsky, however, conceded, “I could cheerfully make some further revisions, but […] I have absolutely no more energy for this task.” Only 10 years later would he return to the overture to recompose the ending. Tchaikovsky was now convinced the work was “a genuine chef d’oeuvre,” and posterity has agreed with him.
—Calvin Dotsey
Program Notes
SCRIABIN
Le poème de l’extase (The Poem of Ecstasy), Opus 54
Born Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin
January 6, 1872
Moscow, Russia
April 27, 1915
Moscow, Russia
1908
1908
New York City, New York
Russian Symphony Orchestra
Modest Altschuler (conductor)
Houston Symphony Premiere
Most Recent Houston Symphony Performance
1959 Leopold Stokowski (conductor)
2018
Bramwell Tovey (conductor)
For those who undergo them, mystical experiences defy the rational mind with feelings of ineffable bliss, ecstasy, and oneness with the universe or the divine. In The Varieties of Religious Experience, William James described such experiences as “illuminations, revelations, full of significance and importance,” and wrote that a person who has had one “immediately says that it defies expression, that no adequate report of its contents can be given in words.” But if mystical experiences cannot be conveyed in words, might they be conjured through music?
This question became an obsession for the Russian composer Alexander Scriabin. At the dawn of the 20th century, the Western world was increasingly aware of the rapid advance of science, but some sensed that the forward march of progress was leaving humanity’s spiritual needs unfulfilled. Influenced by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Wagner, and Theosophy, Scriabin believed music had the power to fill this void. Despite the ineffable nature of mystical experiences, mystics from many different traditions have tried to compare them with more earthly phenomena, including birth, death, awakening, and even sex. The connection between mysticism and the erotic was central for Scriabin, especially in his most popular work, The Poem of Ecstasy, which he originally planned to call Poème Orgiaque (“Orgiastic Poem”). Scriabin’s score contains many unconventional expression markings, including “very perfumed,” “with a feeling of growing intoxication,” and “with a sensual pleasure becoming more and more ecstatic.”
Musically, Scriabin broke new ground in pursuit of his expressive ambitions, taking Wagner’s intensely chromatic harmonic language a step further. The Poem’s harmonies are full of yearning and tension that remain unresolved until the final note. Likewise, though Scriabin calls for an enormous orchestra, he only unleashes its full power in the exultant finale. Leading to this, the music is full of delicate, sensuous textures, featuring prominent parts for solo violin and trumpet.
Constructed from a web of interrelated melodic motifs, waves of sound envelop the listener as the piece unfolds. After a languid opening, we hear faster, flittering music marked “volando” (“flying”). A churning, tempestuous middle section then leads to a reprise of earlier themes. The work concludes with a truly ecstatic ending, representing both spiritual revelation and carnal fulfillment.
—Calvin Dotsey
Program Bios
Juraj Valčuha, conductor
See p. 6 for bio
Alexi Kenney, violin
Violinist Alexi Kenney is forging a career that defies categorization, following his interests, intuition, and heart. He is equally at home creating experimental programs, commissioning new works, soloing with major orchestras around the world, and collaborating with some of the most celebrated musicians of our time. Alexi is the recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award.
Alexi’s 2025–26 Season includes his return to the Pittsburgh Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and Dallas Symphony and debuts with the Houston Symphony and Slovak Philharmonic. Recital and chamber appearances include the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Phillips Collection, 92nd Street Y, and Spoleto Festival.
Alexi continues to perform and develop Shifting Ground, a multimedia program in collaboration with the video artist Xuan, which weaves together
pieces for violin and electronics by J.S. Bach, Rafiq Bhatia, Matthew Burtner, Mario Davidovsky, Salina Fisher, Nicola Matteis, Angélica Negrón, and Paul Wiancko. He also explores his love for period instruments and playing, recently performing the complete Schumann Violin Sonatas on gut strings with Amy Yang on fortepiano.
Chamber music continues to be a major part of Alexi’s life, regularly performing at festivals including Caramoor, ChamberFest Cleveland, Chamber Music Northwest, Kronberg, La Jolla, Ojai, Marlboro, Music@Menlo, Ravinia, Seattle, and Spoleto. He is a founding member of Owls—an inverted quartet hailed as a “dream group” by The New York Times—alongside violist Ayane Kozasa, cellist Gabe Cabezas, and cellist-composer Paul Wiancko.
Born in Palo Alto, California, Alexi is a graduate of the New England Conservatory in Boston. Winner of the 2013 Concert Artists Guild Competition and laureate of the 2012 Menuhin Competition, Alexi has been profiled by Musical America, Strings Magazine, and The New York Times, and has written for The Strad. He plays a violin made in London by StefanPeter Greiner in 2009 and a bow made in Port Townsend, Washington by Charles Espey in 2024.
Outside of music, Alexi enjoys hojicha, modernist design and architecture, baking for friends, and walking for miles on end in whichever city he finds himself, listening to podcasts and Bach on repeat.
Doomed Lovers Festival:
Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde
Juraj Valčuha, conductor
CAST (LISTED IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE)
*Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano (Brangäne)
*Tamara Wilson, soprano (Isolde)
Nicholas Brownlee, bass-baritone (Kurwenal, Melot)
*Stuart Skelton, tenor (Tristan)
Derek Welton, bass-baritone (King Marke)
1:20 WAGNER – Act II from Tristan und Isolde
*Houston Symphony debut
About the Program
Saturday, February 28
Jones Hall
Sunday, March 1 Jones Hall
Program Insight
7:30 p.m.
2 p.m.
Music Director Juraj Valčuha concludes the Houston Symphony’s Doomed Lovers Festival this weekend with Act II of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. Often considered Wagner’s most perfectly realized opera, Tristan und Isolde has been praised as the ultimate glorification of romantic love. Based on a medieval Arthurian legend, the opera features two of the most demanding leading roles ever created. Indeed, the first Tristan, Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld, died shortly after the opera’s premiere in 1865—a tragedy which Wagner blamed on the power of his music.
Fortunately, Australian tenor Stuart Skelton has safely sung the role many times, including at the Metropolitan Opera’s opening night gala performance in 2016. American soprano Tamara Wilson is no stranger to the role of Isolde either, having sung it and many other Wagner heroines at the world’s great opera houses throughout her illustrious career—a career which began with Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artist’s Program.
Our Brangäne, American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, is an alumna of the same studio, and American bassbaritone Nicholas Brownlee, on double duty as both Kurwenal and Melot, also has a Houston connection with a degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Another veteran Wagnerian, Australian bass-baritone Derek Welton, rounds out the starry cast for what promises to be a weekend of thrilling singing.
—Calvin Dotsey
Sponsors
Margaret Alkek Williams Spotlight Series
The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts
Guarantor
The Classical Season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc. , in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham
Robin Angly & Miles Smith Supporter
Stephanie & Dom Beveridge Supporter
Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Foundation through a special gift celebrating the Foundation�s 50 th anniversary in 2015
Program Notes
WAGNER
Act II from Tristan und Isolde
Born
Richard Wagner Died Year Composed
World Premiere
May 22, 1813 Leipzig, Germany
February 13, 1883 Venice, Italy 1859 1865 Munich, Germany
Königliches Hoftheater und Nationaltheater (The National Theatre of Munich)
Houston Symphony Premiere
The Munich Court Theatre, Hans von Bülow (conductor) 2026
Juraj Valčuha (conductor), Jamie Barton (mezzo-soprano), Tamara Wilson (soprano), Nicholas Brownlee (bassbaritone), Stuart Skelton (tenor), Derek Welton (bass-baritone)
After his participation in the failed 1848 revolution in Dresden, Richard Wagner was once again forced to flee across international borders to evade imprisonment. Traveling with false documents, he, his wife Minna, and Minna’s illegitimate daughter by another man (the marriage had been an unhappy one almost from its beginning) found themselves in Switzerland, that great, mountainous refuge of 19th-century misfits. Initially, Wagner relied on the generosity of two women, Julie Ritter and Jessie Laussot, although the support from Laussot came to an abrupt end when her husband discovered that she was having an affair with Wagner. A more stable source of funding came from Otto von Wesendonck, an industrialist Wagner met in 1852. Wesendonck paid many of Wagner’s considerable debts and offered him a home in one of the outbuildings of his estate near Zurich.
Wagner, however, was not only interested in Wesendonck’s generosity. Almost immediately, he fell madly in love with Wesendonck’s wife, Mathilde, renowned for her beauty and literary pursuits. This passion would find its ultimate expression in his opera—or as Wagner would have preferred, his “music drama”—Tristan und Isolde.
Wagner’s first years in Zurich were occupied with work on Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, the first two operas of what would become his mammoth Der Ring des Nibelungen, a four-opera tetralogy based on Norse and Germanic mythology. Realizing the difficulty of bringing such an ambitious project to the stage, Wagner resolved to write a more practical opera that would be easy for theaters to produce in the hopes of quickly securing an independent source of income. As was frequently the case, he drew inspiration from medieval legend, specifically the Arthurian tale of Tristan and Iseult (or Isolde in German). Specifically, he looked to Gottfried von Strasburg’s early 13th-century version of the story, although he significantly altered it in crafting the libretto he wrote himself (as he did with all his operas).
Such was Wagner’s imagination that this modest project became a fourhour opera featuring two of the most challenging leading roles in the repertoire. Nevertheless, his initial vision did impact the manner in which he wrote Tristan in that he adopted a factory-like production schedule so it would be stageable as quickly as possible. He sent each act to his publisher as it was completed and was thus correcting the proofs for Act I while composing Act II, doing his best to keep pace with the copyists and engravers. He therefore had little opportunity for revisions as he composed this revolutionary and complex work from the autumn of 1857 to the summer of 1859.
Act II was completed in Venice, where Wagner fled after his wife Minna jealously confronted him regarding his relationship with Mathilde von Wesendonck. Although many of Wagner and Mathilde’s letters to each other were later published, most of the original copies were destroyed by relatives, and it is likely impossible to know the true depth of Mathilde’s feelings for Wagner. On the one hand, the mores of the era would have discouraged Mathilde from consummating a romance with the composer; on the other, the mores of the time would have encouraged
Program Notes
WAGNER
Act II from Tristan und Isolde
everyone involved to cover up an affair if one did occur. What we do know is that Mathilde wrote the poems that Wagner set to music as songs known today as the Wesendonck Lieder ; music from one of them, “Träume (“Dreams”)”, became the basis for “O sink’ hernieder,” which forms the center of the Act II love duet in Tristan und Isolde Musically, Tristan represents a turning point in Wagner’s development as a composer. Wagner deployed a fully developed technique of leitmotifs, or “melodic impulses” as he called them. These symbolic, recurring musical ideas make the orchestra an integral part of the storytelling by revealing the characters’ unspoken thoughts and feelings and even commenting on the action as would the chorus in a classical Greek tragedy. Harmonically, many passages are in a constant state of tonal flux, moving from one key to another, building incredible tension that serves as a potent metaphor for the lovers’ passion. When the opera at last premiered in Munich in 1865, it both fascinated and scandalized audiences. Although tragic, adulterous love affairs abounded on 19th-century operatic stages, Isolde and Tristan display neither guilt nor shame, and they yearn for death not as an end to suffering but as the ultimate fulfillment of love, themes which many of Wagner’s contemporaries found deeply subversive. The powerful, seductive music only made the work more dangerous, and the opera became an emblem of cultural decadence. It continues to speak profoundly to all who have experienced what Wagner called “love as a terrible torment” (“die Liebe als furchtbare Qual”), offering musical beauty and catharsis. Perhaps Nietzsche, who was both one of Wagner’s most ardent admirers and fiercest critics, best explained the opera’s singular power: “But I am still looking for a work with as dangerous a fascination, with as terrible and sweet an infinity as Tristan—I look through all the arts in vain.”
—Calvin Dotsey
Program Bios
Juraj Valčuha, conductor
See p. 6 for bio
Jamie Barton, mezzosoprano (Brangäne)
Critically acclaimed by virtually every major outlet covering classical music, American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton is increasingly recognized for how she uses her powerful instrument offstage—lifting up women, queer people, and other marginalized communities. Her lively social media presence on Instagram and Twitter (@jbartonmezzo) serves as a hub for conversations about body positivity, social justice issues, and LGBTQ+ rights.
In recognition of her iconic performance at the Last Night of the Proms, Barton was named 2020 Personality of the Year at the BBC Music Magazine Awards. She is also the winner of the Beverly Sills Artist Award, Richard Tucker Award, both Main and Song Prizes at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Her solo albums include All Who Wander, which received the 2018 BBC Music Magazine Vocal Award, and Unexpected Shadows, nominated for a 2022 Grammy
Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.
This season, Barton stars as Sister Helen Prejean in a highly anticipated 25th anniversary production of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking at San Francisco Opera. She returns to Houston Grand Opera for a series of role debuts, including Frugola, Zia Principessa, and Zita in Puccini’s Il trittico, as well as the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, and she brings her acclaimed Ježibaba to performances of Rusalka at Bayerische Staatsoper and Opéra National de Paris.
Elsewhere, she appears in concert with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra, and in recital with Opera Memphis and Arizona Opera with Tucson Desert Song Festival. Following the fulfillment of a long-held dream to create a role in a new opera by Jake Heggie, her work as Elizabeth Van Lew in Heggie’s Intelligence at Houston Grand Opera will be released on a world premiere recording on the LSO Live label.
Tamara
(Isolde)
Grammy Award-winning soprano Tamara Wilson is the recipient of
the prestigious Richard Tucker Award. Other recent honors include an Olivier Award nomination and Grand Prize in the annual Francisco Viñas Competition held at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain.
2025–26 Season highlights include a debut with Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in Die Frau ohne Schatten and a return to the Opéra national de Paris for new productions of Die Walküre and Siegfried. On the concert stage, she makes debut appearances with Staatstheater Darmstadt (War Requiem), Houston Symphony (Tristan und Isolde), and NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo (selections from Götterdämmerung), and returns to The Cleveland Orchestra (War Requiem).
Operatic highlights of Wilson’s career include Die Walküre, Turandot, Lohengrin, Tosca, Ernani, Tristan und Isolde, Fidelio, Ariadne auf Naxos, Otello, Un ballo in Maschera, Don Carlo, Don Carlos, Aida, Il trovatore, Macbeth, Elektra, La forza del destino, Die Fledermaus, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Die Feen, I due Foscari, Falstaff, Un giorno di regno, Simon Boccanegra, Idomeneo, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Il corsaro, La clemeza di Tito, and Norma
She regularly appears on the stages of the world’s leading opera houses including The Metropolitan Opera, Opéra national de Paris, Los Angeles Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Oper Frankfurt, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro La Fenice, The Santa Fe Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dutch
Wilson, soprano
Program Bios
National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Teatro alla Scala, Arena di Verona, Washington National Opera, English National Opera, Opernhaus Zürich, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatro de la Maestranza, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Opera Australia, Opéra National de Lyon, and Théâtre du Capitole.
Wilson frequently partners with Warren Jones and has given recitals at Oper Frankfurt, Source Song Festival, Performance Santa Fe, and Cleveland Art Song Festival. She recorded a duet orchestral concert with Russell Braun at the Canadian Opera Company.
As a champion of new music, she commissioned and recorded Tiffany’s Spellbook by Evan L. Snyder, available on Lexicon Classics and popular streaming platforms. Additional recordings include Die Frau ohne Schatten conducted by Sebastian Weigle and released by Oehms Classics.
Nicholas Brownlee, bass-baritone (Kurwenal, Melot)
Bass-baritone Nicholas Brownlee is the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Richard Tucker Award, was named the International Opera Awards
2025 Male Singer of the Year, and is First Prize winner of the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, winner of the Zarzuela Prize at Operalia, and Grand Prize Winner of The Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition.
In the 2025–26 Season, Brownlee makes debuts at Lyric Opera of Chicago in Salome (Jochanaan) and with Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería for a recording of Salome (Jochanaan). He returns to Bayerische Staatsoper for a new production of Die Walküre (Wotan) directed by Calixto Bieito, Bayreuther Festspiele in Der fliegende Holländer (title role), Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía for Salome (Jochanaan), and to Oper Frankfurt in Peter Grimes (Captain Balstrode), Tosca (Scarpia), and Tristan und Isolde (Kurwenal).
On the concert stage, he debuts with the Houston Symphony for Act II of Tristan und Isolde (Kurwenal & Melot), returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic for Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, and appears on the 2025 Richard Tucker Gala.
Brownlee has performed at many of the world’s leading opera houses including The Metropolitan Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Wiener Staatsoper, Dutch National Opera, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Oper Frankfurt, Opernhaus Zürich, Bayerische Staatsoper, The Santa Fe Opera, Teatro de São Carlos, LA Opera, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Bayreuther Festspiele, Oper Leipzig, Irish National Opera, the Dallas Opera, Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, The Atlanta Opera, and Bard SummerScape.
He has worked with a diverse group
of conductors, among them Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Susanna Mälkki, Pablo HerasCasado, Kent Nagano, James Conlon, Emmanuel Villaume, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Thomas Guggeis, Carlo Rizzi, Harry Bicket, Vladimir Jurowski, Eun Sun Kim, Fabio Luisi, Gemma New, Giacomo Sagripanti, James Gaffigan, Marco Armiliato, Sebastian Weigle, Tarmo Peltokoski, Simone Young, Speranza Scappucci, and Erik Nielsen.
Brownlee began his professional career as a member of the DomingoColburn-Stein Young Artist Program at LA Opera, where he appeared in Les pêcheurs de perles (Nourabad), Die Zauberflöte (Sprecher), Madama Butterfly (Bonze), and Moby-Dick (Captain Gardiner) and is a graduate of the University of South Alabama and Rice University.
Stuart Skelton, tenor (Tristan)
Stuart Skelton is one of the finest heldentenors on the stage today, critically acclaimed for his outstanding musicianship, tonal beauty, and intensely dramatic portrayals.
Richard Wagner’s music takes center stage in Stuart Skelton’s 2025–26 Season. He makes his debut with the Korean National
Program Bios
Opera in a new production of Tristan und Isolde, conducted by long-time collaborator Jaap van Zweden. A robust season also features major Wagner concert performances, including Die Walküre (Act I) with the Gulbenkian Orchestra under Hannu Lintu; Die Walküre (Act I) with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and van Zweden; and Wagner Gala concerts with soprano Nina Stemme and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. He sings concert performances of Tristan und Isolde with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and van Zweden as well as with the Houston Symphony and Juraj Valčuha.
Last season, Skelton gave critically acclaimed performances of Tristan und Isolde in semi-staged performances with Yannick NézetSéguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as concert performances of Parsifal and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with Marek Janowski leading the NHK Symphony Orchestra.
Recent operatic highlights for Skelton include Tristan und Isolde at Teatro San Carlo under Constantin Trinks, at Glyndebourne with Robin Ticciati, and at Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville under Henrik Nánási. He also has appeared at the Bayerische Staatsoper in productions of Parsifal, conducted by Marek Janowski, and Peter Grimes, led by Edward Gardner. With the Wiener Staatsoper, Skelton joined Philippe Jordan for a Wagner Gala under the auspices of the Musikverein für Steiermark in Graz
Skelton’s first solo album, Shining Knight, presents a program of Wagner, Griffes, and Barber accompanied by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. His expansive recording catalogue also includes Tristan und Isolde, Britten’s Peter Grimes, Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder, a Grammy Award-nominated Janáček Glagolitic Mass, a Gramophone Magazine awardwinning recording of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, Die Walküre, Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. He has contributed to four recordings of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen
Derek Welton, bassbaritone (King Marke)
Described as “the possessor of a major voice” (Opera) and a “magnificent Wotan” (Die Zeit), Australian-born bass-baritone Derek Welton has emerged as a leading dramatic voice of his generation, as well as a dedicated and versatile interpreter of concert repertoire ranging from Bach and Handel to the present day.
fliegende Holländer, and to the Opéra de Lyon as Claggart (Billy Budd ). He makes his house debut at the Opernhaus Zürich as Pizarro (Fidelio), his house and role debut as König Heinrich (Lohengrin) at the Hungarian State Opera, and performs Wanderer (Siegfried ) at the Müpa Budapest.
He is a regular guest at many of the world’s foremost opera houses and festivals, including The Royal Ballet and Opera, Salzburg Festival, Vienna State Opera, Bayreuth Festival, Bavarian State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Semperoper Dresden, Opéra national de Paris, Teatro Real Madrid, Dutch National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. His wide-ranging roles include Wotan/Wanderer (Der Ring des Nibelungen), Holländer (Der fliegende Holländer), King Marke (Tristan und Isolde), Orest (Elektra), Bluebeard (Bluebeard’s Castle), Forester (The Cunning Little Vixen), and Mozart’s Figaro.
Derek has performed with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Czech
and he returned to the main stage as Siegmund in Die Walküre conducted by Axel Kober. Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig in repertoire including Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, and Mass in B Minor, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Tippett’s A Child of Our Time
In the 2025–26 Season, Welton returns to the Wiener Staatsoper as Orest (Elektra), to the Deutsche Oper Berlin in the title role of Der
Welton’s discography includes performances as Wotan (Das Rheingold, Naxos), Amfortas (Parsifal, Deutsche Grammophon), Orest (Elektra, Unitel Edition), Creonte in Haydn’s L’anima del
Program Bio
filosofo (Pinchgut Live), as well as Martinů’s The Epic of Gilgamesh (Supraphon Records), Stravinsky’s Pulcinella (Harmonia Mundi), Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (Ondine and Brattle Media), and a solo CD of Vaughan Williams songs with Iain Burnside for Albion Records.
Derek Welton holds degrees in Linguistics and German from the University of Melbourne and in Music from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
SUBSCRIBER OF THE MONTH:
AMY KELSO
Q: How long have you been a Houston Symphony subscriber?
I’ve been a subscriber of the POPS for 12 years now and love it! I have great seats so I definitely don’t plan on giving them up any time soon.
Q: What do you love the most about the Houston Symphony?
The Houston Symphony has such amazing range! They can play an ’80s pop song as effortlessly as they can perform a classical masterpiece. I always know that whatever the performance is I’m in for a treat.
every year to see them perform it if it were on the calendar.
Q: Can you tell us about your favorite memory of attending a performance?
It’s very hard to narrow it down since there have been so many amazing concerts, but if forced to choose I would say my favorite memory is of the first time I saw the Houston Symphony perform Carmina Burana. I’ve seen it twice now and I would come
Q: What concert are you most excited about this season?
I’m eager to see Marin Alsop back on stage, as someone who lived in Baltimore during her tenure there, and for John Adams’s return as well.
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We believe being part of a community means giving back in meaningful ways. MetroNational supports many local organizations through charitable giving, in-kind donations, and hands-on volunteerism—all dedicated to improving the lives of youth and families across Houston. Through these collective efforts, we continue to bring MetroNational’s purpose to life—Building Better Lives for our community today and for future generations.
Houston Methodist is one of the nation’s leading health systems and academic medical centers. The health system consists of Houston Methodist Hospital—its flagship academic hospital in the Texas Medical Center—as well as seven community hospitals across the Greater Houston area and a continuing care facility.
Houston Methodist is a dedicated supporter of the Houston Symphony as the official health care provider and underwriter of six concert weekends throughout the 2025–26 Season. Houston Methodist offers unique benefits to the Houston Symphony’s musicians through its Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM). As the only center of its kind in the country, CPAM is comprised of a specialized group of more than 100 physicians working collaboratively to address the specific demands placed on artists so they can do what they do best—enrich the lives of Houston audiences.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is one of Houston’s signature institutions and has been a member of the Houston Symphony’s donor family for more than 20 years. In keeping with its longstanding commitment to education, the Rodeo supports the Symphony’s Student Concerts, including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Middle School Concerts.
Since its beginning in 1932, the Rodeo has committed more than $600 million to the youth of Texas and education—including more than $27 million in 2024. The Show has presented nearly 20,000 scholarships since the first was awarded in 1957, and more than 2,300 students are currently on Rodeo scholarships, attending more than 80 Texas colleges and universities. The Rodeo’s commitment to education extends to grants, Junior Show and School Art Auction Exhibitors, and participants in the famous Calf Scramble.
Our Donors
Listing as of November 25, 2025
The Houston Symphony gratefully acknowledges those who support our artistic, educational, and community engagement programs through their annual generosity.
more than
$100,000+
Donors $100,000+
Dr. Eric McLaughlin & Mr. Eliodoro Castillo
Eric and Elliot are active philanthropists in Houston’s performing arts world. They are proud to elevate their support of the Symphony and its vision to be a world-class orchestra and Houston cultural leader. Outside of his entrepreneurial and healthcare pursuits, Eric dabbles in playing the piano. He cites exceptional performing arts and powerful air conditioning as key reasons he calls Houston home. Elliot, a professionally trained bass-baritone opera singer, has also grown his real estate and property management portfolio to over $40 million in just a few years. Together, Eric and Elliot enjoy travel and the outdoors.
Bobbie is actively involved in multiple civic, community, and philanthropic organizations in Houston and is a generous supporter of the Symphony’s Annual Fund, Special Events, and Endowment. She attends both classical and pops concerts and provides leadership support for general operations each year. In 2022, she endowed the orchestra’s Principal Clarinet Chair. In 2023, she chaired the highest-grossing Houston Symphony Wine Dinner and Collector’s Auction in the event’s history. Bobbie is former majority owner of Silver Eagle Distributors.
Bobbie Nau
Our Donors
Leslie Nossaman
$100,000+
Leslie is an impactful leader on both the Symphony Board as a Governing Director and Houston Symphony League Board. She has been a Symphony patron since the 1980s and a major volunteer since 2016, including Student Concerts, Family Concerts, musician auditions, and the Archives. She is currently President-Elect for the League and participates on many Symphony committees such as Marketing, Development, and Education and Community Engagement. She is also the Chair for the Livestream and Recording Studio Consortium.
John & Lindy Rydman/Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods
The Houston Symphony’s Principal Corporate Guarantor is a landmark Houston institution, Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods. Through the Spec’s Charitable Foundation, the company supports the Symphony in a variety of ways—through the annual Wine Dinner and Collector’s Auction, the Salute to Educators Concert, and the company’s own Symphony fundraising event, Vintage Virtuoso. In total, the company has contributed more than $6.5 million to the Symphony since 1996.
Mike Stude
Mike Stude, Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees, has been one of the Symphony’s most devoted champions for decades. He has made extraordinary personal contributions of time and treasure and is a steadfast advocate of the Symphony and its Endowment among foundations and peers. A lifelong lover of classical music, Mike is former owner of KRTS classical radio, serves as a Musician Sponsor, and has traveled worldwide to hear the orchestra on tour. He began his career at Brown & Root and later became Owner and President of Stude Investment Partners and Chairman of Big Covey Exploration.
Bobby and Phoebe Tudor
Bobby and Phoebe Tudor are leading Houston philanthropists with a remarkable dedication to the Houston Symphony. Over the course of their decades-long involvement, they have provided leadership support for virtually every one of the organization’s strategic priorities. Bobby has served as both President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He is CEO of Artemis Energy Partners; previously, he was a founding partner and chairman of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Phoebe is an active community volunteer involved with the arts, historic preservation, parks, education, and quality-of-life issues.
Margaret Alkek Williams
The Houston Chronicle named Margaret “the most powerful, committed female philanthropist in Houston since Ima Hogg.” Her extraordinary contributions have made a remarkable impact at the Symphony and across the theater district. Each season, she sponsors the six-concert Margaret Alkek Williams Spotlight Series and serves as Grand Guarantor of two programs. In 2015, Margaret endowed the orchestra’s Executive Director/CEO Chair. She is a Lifetime Trustee and Governing Director. In 2024, the Margaret Alkek Williams Grand Lobby opened at Jones Hall.
Gardenia Foundation
Our Donors
Edward & Janette Blackburne
Mary Kathryn Campion & Stephen Liston
Drs. Dennis & Susan Carlyle
Brady F. & Zane Carson Carruth
Anne & Albert Chao
Virginia A. Clark
Aggie L. Foster & Steve Simon
Elia & Michael Gabbanelli
In memory of Ira T. Anderson
Jr. by Frances Anderson and Jennifer Anderson
Ann & Jonathan Ayre
Dr. Saúl & Ursula Balagura
Barbara & David Balderston
Donna & Ken Barrow
James* & Dale Brannon
Nancy & Walter Bratic
Terry Ann Brown
Mr. Christopher Cheever
Connie Dyer*
Mr. & Mrs. Russell M. Frankel
David & Aoife French
Evan B. Glick
Mark & Ragna Henrichs
Dr. Rita Justice/The MasterCaregiver Company
Tom Anderson
Nina K. Andrews
Dr. Angela R. Apollo
Anne Morgan Barrett
Mr. David J. Beck
Dr. Gudrun H. Becker
In Memory of Sybil F. Roos –Ginger Bertrand, Cathey Cook, and Betsy Garlinger
Kathryn & Eric D. Brueggeman
Mr. Robert Bunch & Ms. Lilia Khakimova
Ralph Burch
Kori & Chris Caddell
Kristen J. Cannon
Dr. Robert N. Chanon
Brad & Joan Corson
Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn
Gary L. Hollingsworth & Kenneth J. Hyde
Rebecca & Bobby Jee
Joan & Marvin Kaplan Foundation/The Kaplan, Brooks, and Bruch Families
Mr. & Mrs. Bashar Kalai
Rick & Deborah Kaplan
Carey Kirkpatrick
Lil & Matthew Kades
Cele & Sam Keeper*
Gwen & Dan Kellogg
Mr. & Mrs. David B. Krieger
Paul Leach & Susan Winokur
Joella & Steven P. Mach
Alison & Ara Malkhassian
Mrs. Carolyn & Dr. Michael Mann
Barry & Rosalyn Margolis Family
Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis
Michelle & Jack Matzer
John & Dorothy McDonald
Muffy & Mike* McLanahan
Jim & Terri McLaughlin
Jeanette & John DiFilippo
Mike & Debra Dishberger
Andria N. Elkins
Sidney Faust
Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey B. Firestone
Eugene Fong
Mrs. Mary Foster & Mr. Don DeSimone
Mary & Steve Gangelhoff
Suzan & Julius Glickman
Mrs. Mary Goodman
Mr. & Mrs. Fred L. Gorman
Jo A. & Billie Jo Graves
Claudio J. Gutiérrez
Mr. & Mrs.* Jerry L. Hamaker
Carol & Charlie Herder
Mrs. James E. Hooks
Cindy E. Levit
Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks
Dr. Miguel & Mrs. Valerie Miro-Quesada
Shirley & David Toomim Family Foundation / Steve & Ellen Robinson
Kathy & Ed Segner
Margaret & Joel Shannon
Robin Angly & Miles Smith
$50,000+
Alana R. Spiwak & Sam L. Stolbun
Anne Adams & Terry Thomas
Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor
Robert G. Weiner & Toni Blankmann
Katie & Bob Orr / Oliver Wyman
Mr. David Peavy & Dr. Stephen McCauley
Gloria & Joe Pryzant
Laurie A. Rachford
Ed & Janet Rinehart
Toni A. Oplt & Ed Schneider
Donna Scott & Mitch Glassman
Ms. Diana Skerl
Ann Klinar Stanley & Bill Stanley
Mr. Jay Steinfeld & Mrs. Barbara Winthrop
Stephen & Kristine Wallace
Jay & Gretchen Watkins
Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber
Dr. Charles Johnson & Tammie Johnson
Ms. Linda R. Katz
Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk
Ms. Nancey G. Lobb
Cindy Mao & Michael Ma
Elissa & Jarrod Martin
Susan & Michael Mason
Marvin & Martha McMurrey
Diane K. Morales
Michael Baugh & Tim Ong
Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan E. Parker
Jean & Allan Quiat
Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer
Becky Shaw
Tad & Suzanne Smith
Dr. Carol Stelling
Justin Stenberg
$25,000+
Steven & Nancy Williams
Ellen A. Yarrell Elena & John Young Anonymous
$15,000+
Mr. & Mrs. Karl Strobl
Mrs. Marguerite M. Swartz
Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. Vicki West
Kate & Brook Wiggins
Larry & Lori Williams
Ellen & Tony Williford
Anonymous
Our Donors
Gail & Louis Adler
Stanford & Joan Alexander Foundation
Marcie & Nick Alexos
Edward H. Andrews III
Laura & Christopher
Armstrong
Rita & Jeffrey Aron
Johanna & Brad Bishop
Judy & James Bozeman
Carrie & Sverre BrandsbergDahl
Ms. Zu D. Broadwater*
Barbara A. Brooks
Dolores & Craig Brooks
Ms. Deborah Butler*
Chaing-Lin & Ye-Mon Chen
Coneway Family Foundation
Roz & Byron* Cooley
Regina & Larry Corbin
Debby & Roger Cutler
Alexander Dell
Elisabeth DeWitts
Valerie Palmquist Dieterich & Tracy Dieterich
Kathy & Frank Dilenschneider
Bonnie & George Dolson
Rosalind & Gary Dworkin
Kelli Cohen Fein & Martin Fein
Dr. & Mrs. George* J. Abdo
John & Pat* Anderson
Lilly & Thurmon Andress
Dr. Julia Andrieni & Dr. Rob Phillips
Rick Ankrom & Jay Hooker
Mr. Jeff Autor
Sarah Barrett
Dr. Joan H. Bitar
Florence & George Boerger
Mr. Russell Boone
Margery Anderson & Farhad Bozorgmehr
Mr. Gordon J. Brodfuehrer
Mr. Chester Brooke & Dr. Nancy Poindexter
Sharon & Bill Bullock
Patricia & William Bumpus
David Bush
Bernie Cantu & Rubens Franz
Marilyn Caplovitz*
John W. Cassidy
Tatiana & Daniel Chavanelle
Heaven Chee
Barbara A. Clark & Edgar A. Bering
Ms. Miquel A. Correll
Fernando Alberto Cuartas
Corey Tu & Andrew Davis
Joseph & Rebecca Demeter
Mr. Parrish N. Erwin Jr.
Lindsay & Brian Fisher
Dianne G. Foutch
Bill & Diana Freeman
Mr. Alejandro E. Gallardo
Ursula H. Felmet
Janet Gurwitch & Ronald Franklin
Carolyn & Patrick Gaidos
Grace Ho & Joe Goetz
Ms. Lidiya Gold
Kathryn & Kirk Hachigian
Deborah Happ & Richard Rost
Sandy & Don L. Harris
Pam & Jim Harris
Ann G. Hightower
Katherine Hill
Mina Park & Olaf Honerkamp
Catherine & Brian James
Dawn James
Marzena & Jacek Jaminski
Josephine & Phil John
Donna Marie & John Joity
Debbie & Frank Jones
Yvette & David J. M. Key
Julie Van & Joshua Lee
Helen & Calvin Leeke
Richard Loewenstern
Marilyn G. Lummis
Pat & Bob Lunn
Nancy F. Martin
Martha & Alexander Matiuk
Dr. & Mrs. Malcolm L. Mazow
Dr. Eugenia C. George
Kathy & Albrecht Goethe
Susan & Bradford Goodwin Jr.
Julianne & David Gorte
The Hon. Stella GuerraNelson
Rizzia Hammond
Mary N. Hankey
Katherine & Archibald Hill
Elaine & Jeffrey Hiller
Susan Akers Hirtz
Mr. & Mrs. John Homier
Lindsay & John W. Hutchinson
Daniel Irion
Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Jankovic
Stephen Jeu & Susanna Calvo
Beverly Johnson
Kaleta Johnson
Mady & Ken Kades
Kathryn L. Ketelsen
Carmen & Alfred J. Knapp Jr.
Mr. Steve Lee
Gail Little
Rachel Lloyd
Kirby & David Lodholz
Mary Marquardsen
Ms. Kathy McCraigh
Carol & Paul McDermott
Mr. Stephen Mendoza
Larry & Lyn Miller
Josie & Phil Morgan
Suzannah Brock Morris
Stephanie Weber & Paul Muri
Aprill Nelson
Kandee & Terry McGill
Rita & Paul Morico
Barbara & Gerald Moynier
Jo Ann & Marvin Mueller
Dr. Susan Osterberg & Mr. Edward C. Osterberg, Jr.
Dianne Padgett
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Pastorek
Mr. Robert J. Pilegge
Mrs. Jenny Popatia in memory of Dr. Tajdin R. Popatia
Heather & Chris Powers
Edlyn & David Pursell
Radoff Family
Christiana & George Ransford
Gabriel & Mona Rio
Jill & Allyn Risley
Fay & George Rizzo
Floyd W. Robinson
Alicia & Douglas Rodenberger
Robert K. Rogerson
Roz & David Rowan
Lori Harrington & Parashar Saikia
Christy & Ted Sarosdy
Barbara & Paul Schwartz
Andrea & Charles Seay
Susan & Ed Septimus
Bobbie Newman
Linda Tarpley Peterson
Dr. & Mrs. James L. Pool
Roland & Linda Pringle
Darla & Chip Purchase
Cris & Elisa Pye
Uma Ramaswamy
Vicky & Michael Richker
Tracey Rogan
Constance E. Roy
Megan Anne & Jason Ryan
Michael T. & Sophie Rydin
Andrew Sackheim
Ellen Safier & Efrain Bleiberg
Lawrence P. Schanzmeyer
Garry & Margaret
Schoonover
Robert Seah
Angelica Garza & Richard Sepulveda
Mr. & Mrs. Charles O. Shearouse
Donna & Tim Shen
Mr. & Mrs. Steven Sherman
Aerin & Quentin Smith
Sandy & George Sneed
Sam & Linda Snyder
Jeaneen & Tim Stastny
Sandra Stephens
Marc Tabolsky & Sally Anne
Schmidt
Dr. & Mrs. Van W. Teeters
Jean & Doug Thomas
Katharine & William Van Wie
Mr. & Mrs. David Vannauker
$10,000+
Dr. & Mrs. Robert B. Sloan
Houston Christian
University
Mr. & Mrs. Jim R. Smith
Anthony & Lori Speier
Mary & Richard Spies
Betty* & Gerry Stacy
David & Helen Stacy
Tina Raham Stewart in memory of Jonathan Stewart
Dr. John R. Stroehlein & Miwa Sakashita
Karen Tell
Susan L. Thompson
Carol & Eric Timmreck
Nanako & Dale Tingleaf
Pamalah* & Stephen Tipps
Frances & Brad Urquhart
David & Robin Walstad
Barbara E. Williams
Janice Robertson & Doug Williams
Kay & Doug* Wilson
Woodell Family Foundation
Nina & Michael Zilkha
Edith & Robert Zinn
Anonymous (4)
Connie Walden
H. Richard Walton
$5,000+
Laurel & Matthew Weathers
Nancy & David Webb
Nancy B. Willerson
Houston Contemporary Dance Company
Grant Winthrop
Cyvia Wolff
Jo Dee & C. Clifford Wright
Jr.
Mrs. Lorraine Wulfe
Ezra Yacob
Trish & Steve Yatauro
Michele & Robert Yekovich
Mrs. Linda Yelin
Erla & Harry* Zuber
Anonymous
Our Donors
Farida Abjani
Norah Adams
Mary E. Ainslie
Mina Alaniz
Maria Alaoui
Susan Weingarten & John Arnsparger
Mr. & Mrs. Edmund Aversenti
Jacqueline Baly
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen J. Banks
Polina Gaddy & Scott Barber
Sophia Ewalt & Matthew Behrmann
Nancy Glass & John Belmont
Stephanie & Dom Beveridge
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Bickel
Naomi & Charles* Black
Jeb & Cynthia Blackwell
Matt Brams & Alice Mao
Mr. Steven E. Breyfogle
Jane & Ron Brownlee
Brandy Buck
Dr. Fred & Mrs. Irene Buckwold
Cindy & Laurence Burns
Justice Brett & Erin Busby
Cheryl Byington
Rosangela Capobianco
Margot & John Cater
Julie & David Charles
Mr. Per Staunstrup Christiansen
Lynn Coe
Mr. & Mrs. Michael F. Cook
Gary Cooper
Anna M. Dean
Mrs. Myriam Degreve
Mrs. Edward N. Earle
David Edwards
Kathy Beck & John Egbert
Annette & Knut Eriksen
Elaine Adams
Julie Adrogue
Linda & Chuck* Alexander
Robert K. Arnett Jr.
Sheila Aron
Mr. Wael As
Henry Bachman
Roger Baker
Myra W. Barber
Deborah Bautch
Janet & John Beall
Marjorie & Arthur L. Beaudet
Barbara & Jim Becker
Kimberly & James Bell
Bonnie & Frank Benton
Catherine & Roger Bhalla
Saba & Ben Blanding
Mrs. Ginger Blanton
Cyndi Bohannon
Adrienne Bond
Louis Bonno
Patricia K. Boyd
Christine & Kevin J. Bradford
Nicole Fingeroot
Edwin Friedrichs & Darlene Clark
Mary & Robert Fusillo
Patrick B. Garvey
Wm. David George Ph.D.
Alyson & Elliot Gershenson
Susan & Kevin Golden
Amy Goodpasture
Louise Richman & Dennis Griffith
Mrs. Tami A. Grubb
Perla Guerra
Susan & Dick Hansen
Sonja Bruzauskas & Houston Haymon
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Herzog
Mr. Stanley Hoffberger
Holly Holmes
Jonathan T. Jan
Mr. & Mrs. Rick C. Jaramillo
Angela & Craig Jarchow
Susan & Jonathan Jee
Mark A. Jensen
Francene Young & Ken Jones
Veronica Juarez
Anna Kaplan
Lynda & Frank Kelly
Maxine Olefsky & Justin Kenney
Marcia & Douglas Koch
Jane & Kevin Kremer
Brittany & Kevin Kushner
Stephanie & Richard Langenstein
Gary T. Leach
Kate & Lee Lennard
Mr. William W. Lindley
Kristen & Matthew Loden
Tama Lundquist
Martiel Luther
Joe Brazzatti
Ms. Helene Harding & Dr. Patrick Briggs
Debra Ewing & Thomas Britton
Michael Broderick
Claire Brooks
Kathleen Bucher
Brad Burke
Lauren Bustos
Steven Buxbaum
Ghiulinara Carimculova
Mr. & Mrs. Terry Carius
Mr. Theodore Carpenter & Mrs. Stephanie Harrison
Tyri Schiek & David Centanni
Nancy Christopherson
James Cleary
Mr. & Mrs. James Collins
Edgardo Colon
Dr. Carmen Bonmati & Mr.
Ben Conner
Kay & Lawson Cook
Mr. & Mrs. Peter MacGregor
Mr. John R. Mangum
Melanie & Larry Margolis
Mary Pauline McElroy
Cathy McNamara
Kristen Meneilly
Mrs. Suzanne Miller
David & Jamie Ming
Mrs. Jean Mintz
Mr. & Mrs. Richard S. Moen
Emily & Joseph Morrel
Jackie Mutschler
Jessica & Erick Navas
Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey B. Newton
Stephanie Nielsen
Ms. Barbara Nussmann
Rebecca & Thomas Oley
Macky Osorio
Patricia A. Kalmans & Michael A. Ozer
Laura & Bill Parker
Nancy Parra
Kusum & K. Cody Patel
Karen & Melvin Payne
Shirley & Michael P. Pearson
Debbie Polotko
Mr. & Mrs. Florante Quiocho
Randy Rakes
Clinton & Leigh Rappole
Dr. Michael & Janet Rasmussen
Lauren & Jeff Read
Anna Reger
Janet & J.B. Reimer
Anna Robshaw
Diane Roederer
Adelina Romero
Lynn & Alex Rosas
Linda & Jerry Rubenstein
Kimberly Ruona
John Cooks
Danielle Crockett
Mr. Carl R. Cunningham
Paula & John Cutler
Dr. Tarek Dammad
Eric Davis
Mary Ellen Swadley & Ron Deane
Del Olmo Aldaz Family
Trienet & Mauricio Del Valle
Ms. Elena Delaunay
Susan & Jere Dial
Ms. Irma Diaz-Gonzalez & Mr.
Roberto Gonzalez
Victoria E. Dominguez
Ann & James Dorn
Anita & T. Michael Dossey
Allyn & Clifford Dukes
Ramsay M. Elder
Ronald Elkins
Jay Estes
Beverly & Gerald* Fanarof
Susan Feickert
$2,500+
Anthony Sanchez Rodriguez Lee
Carol & Kamal Sandarusi
Melissa Sandefer
Lynda G. Seaman
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Shack
Julieta & Milan Saunders
Mr. & Dr. Adrian D. Shelley
Gary Shiba
Carlos Sierra
Hinda Simon
Becky & David Smith
Becky & Sam Smith
Sandra Smith
The Snook Family
Young Son
Joseph & Sheryl Speelman
Donna & John Speer
Mary McKerall & Richard Steele
Debbie & Gene Straka
Bill Stubbs
Lori & Craig Teller
Emily H. & David K. Terry
Juliana & Stephen Tew
Sal & Denise Torrisi
Patricia Van Allan
Fabius Watson
Dr. & Mrs. Richard T. Weiss
Katherine & William Wiener
Jerre & Dennis Williams
Marianne Wood
Kathleen Wood
Susan Gail Wood
Penelope A. & John W. Wright
Lori & Scott Wulfe
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Zabriskie
Rini & Edward Ziegler
Anonymous (3)
$1,000+
Judith Feigin & Colin Faulkner
Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Ference
Roberta & Peter Ferenz
Larry Finger
Janet Fitzke
Marilyn & Theodore Flick
Christina Fontenot
Susan & Thomas Forestier
Angel & Craig Fox
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Frautschi
Sandra Galbraith
Martin J. Gambling
Leslie Gassner
Ms. Lucy Gebhart
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Gendel
Dr. Michael Gillin & Ms.
Pamela Newberry
Lizabeth Gillis
Nancy Glesby
Helen B. Wils & Leonard A. Goldstein
Maxine & Steven Goodman
Our Donors
Kathy & Marty Goossen
Shirley Graham
Joan & William Grattendick
Catherine Green
Laurie & Lewis Greenberg
MD
Mr. & Mrs. Charles H.
Gregory
Joan DerHovsepian & Erik Gronfor
Goran Haag
Angelea & Eric Halen
Mr. & Mrs. Franklin J.
Harberg Jr.
Tom Hargis & Leah Shapiro
Alice & Bruce Harkness
John Haynes
Sheila Heimbinder
Dean & Beth Hennings
Neil Hershey
Christian Hettick
Suzanne M. Hite MD
Susan Hodge & Mike Stocker
Jennifer & David Hoover
George E. Howe
Dr. Vicki Huff & Dr. Eric Boerwinkle
Lauren & C. Birk Hutchens
Janine K. Iannarelli
Mr. Craig Ignacio
Kerry & Steve Incavo
Mary Kay & Charles Jackson
Sharon Jamison
Kathleen & Okey Johnson
Sheryl Jorgensen
Ara J. Karian
Deborah Kearney
Bernadette Keating
Susan H. & Thomas J. Keefe
Lee Kesselman
Mr. & Mrs. William H. Knull III
Judy Koehl
Deborah Laws
Raquel Lewis
Patsy Liao
Yuelin Liu
Michella Lorino
Robert J. Lorio
Judy & Tony Lutkus
Calum Macaulay
Nancy Manderson
Renee Margolin
Jesse Marion
Heidi & David Massin
Alison & Mark Matovich
Brooke & Christopher McCarty
Debra McCoy
Linda McCutchen
Mellena McKenna
Patricia McMahon & Joseph F.
McCarthy
Ashley McPhail
Ginni & Richard Mithoff
Christopher J Moore
Marguerite & Abraham Moreno
Andy Moreno
Mr. William Morrison & Dr.
Sharon Davis
Kiran Movva
Linda C. Murray
Karol & Daniel Musher
Alan & Elaine Mut
Jim Narvios
Cynthia & Robert Nelson
Lisa Ng
Phong Patrick Nguyen
Tammy & Wayne Nguyen
Lucinda Marshall & Hans Nielsen
Ruth & Anthony Nocella
Eugene Nosal & Nelda Gilliam
Turi Odegard
Cathy & Marc Olson
Roberto Orlandi
Ruth & Marc C. Paige
Kathy Patrick
Laura Pears
Dr. & Mrs. Joseph V. Penn
Leila Perrin
Bryant Phelan
Vsevolod Popov
Dana Puddy
Fairfax & Risher Randall
Venu & Elsie Rao
Louise Ratz
Nancy & William Rawl
Jennifer Renner & Mark Kelly
Patricia Richards
Linda Ridley-Wise
Elaine & Steve Roach
Monica Rocha
Lena & Keith Rogers
Ms. Regina J. Rogers
Jack H. Rooker
Jill & Milt Rose
Kathi F. Rovere
Brenda & Mansel Rubenstein
Kent Rutter & David Baumann
Mary & John Ryder
Jacqueline & Ian Sack
Mr. Robert T. Sakowitz
Chula & Ramon Sanchez
Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Sandlin
Beth & Lee Schlanger
Betty & Robert Schwarz
Brian Scully
Kristie & Michael Seago
Heidi Seizinger
Mandel Selber III
Sarah & Peter Seltz
Victor E. Serrato
Barbara Jean Shipp
Leslie Siller
Mr. & Mrs. William A. Smith
Leonardo Soto
Kimberly & David Sterling
Bill Stevens
Julie Cowie & David Stewart
Kathleen & Edward Stuart
Patricia & Robert Sturdivant
Amy Sutton & Gary Chiles
Mary & John Taylor
Nicholas Terry
Ms. Betsy Mims & Mr. Howard
D. Thames
Mr. Aaron J. Thomas & Mrs.
Jennifer Chang
Donald James Tindall
Jane & David Turner
Mary & John Untereker
Donna Schultz Van Fleet
Hallie A. Vanderhider
Jennifer Villinski
Dean Walker
Mr. James Walker
Albert Walko
Connie & Larry Wallace
Marie & Douglas Walt
Kathryn & Terence
Washington
Milka Waterland
Janet Weeks
Anne Marie & Larry Weis
Joann E. Welton
Dr. & Mrs. Brad Wertman
Amy E. Whitaker
Maura & Bradley White
Carlton Wilde
Bridget & Brooke Williams
Alice Gates & Wayne Wilner
$1,000+
Larry & Susan Wilson
Jim Winget
Jennifer R. Wittman
Nora Dobin & Christian Wolfe
Beth Wolff
Jerry & Gerlind Wolinsky
Melinda & Alan Young
Janette & Randy Zercher
Mr. & Mrs. Richard M. Zoll
Anonymous (12)
*Deceased
Corporate, Foundation, & Government Partners
The Brown Foundation, Inc.
The Brown Foundation, established in 1951, is a philanthropic organization committed to enriching Texas communities through education, arts, and civic engagement. It has distributed more than $1.7 billion in grants across Texas since its inception. With a focus on bringing passion, energy, and creativity to life in Houston, the Foundation has been a steadfast supporter of the Symphony for decades. Its generous contributions have enabled the Symphony to deliver exceptional performances, engage diverse audiences, and foster education initiatives.
Houston Symphony Endowment**
Houston Symphony Endowment (the Endowment) was established to support the operations of the Houston Symphony Society (the Society). The Endowment holds contributed funds in perpetuity, invests those funds, and makes contributions from time to time to the Society. Such contributions must meet the stated restrictions of donors as well as the current policies of the Endowment. The Endowment is governed by a Board of Directors who are elected by the officers of the Board of Directors of the Society.
The Wortham Foundation, Inc.
THE WORTHAM FOUNDATION, INC.
The Houston Symphony is fortunate to have the generous and longstanding support of The Wortham Foundation, Inc., whose grants play a vital role in maintaining the orchestra’s artistic excellence and organizational strength. The Wortham Foundation, Inc. has been a partner of the Symphony for more than 45 years, and its investment in the Symphony has been invaluable to the organization’s artistic growth.
City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance
John & Lindy Rydman/Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods
The Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a local arts and culture non-profit agency dedicated to helping artists and non-profits be bold, productive, and strong. Under the guidance of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, HAA implements the City of Houston’s vision for arts grantmaking and civic art investments. Additionally, HAA spearheads privately funded initiatives, including disaster preparedness, arts research, and temporary public art projects that invigorate local neighborhoods. HAA generously provides funding to the Houston Symphony, allowing us to improve accessibility of the arts throughout the Houston community.
The Houston Symphony’s Principal Corporate Guarantor is a landmark Houston institution, Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods. Through the Spec’s Charitable Foundation, the company supports the Symphony in a variety of ways—through the annual Wine Dinner and Collector’s Auction, the Salute to Educators Concert, and the company’s own Symphony fundraising event, Vintage Virtuoso. In total, the company has contributed more than $6.5 million to the Symphony since 1996.
Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation
$1,000,000+ $500,000+ $150,000+
Founded in 1995, the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation supports charitable, religious, medical, cultural, and educational initiatives across Texas. The majority of the Foundation’s grants align with Mr. Alkek’s focus on research and education, aiming to make long-term impact through discoveries and improved quality of life. The Foundation’s funding deeply reflects the Alkek family’s commitment to community involvement in Houston and throughout the state where it continues to honor the vision and values of its founder through its ongoing philanthropic work.
Corporate, Foundation, & Government Partners
Grand Guarantor
THE CULLEN TRUST FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
ConocoPhillips
$150,000+
For more than 50 years, ConocoPhillips has supported the Houston Symphony, advocating for music education and cultural enrichment. In 2025, the company celebrated its 39 th consecutive year as the Opening Night Concert Sponsor and Lead Corporate Gala Underwriter, ensuring a grand start to the Symphony’s season. This partnership exemplifies ConocoPhillips’s dedication to giving back to the community. As a leading exploration and production company, ConocoPhillips is committed to being a good neighbor and responsible citizen in the areas it operates.
The Cullen Foundation
The Cullen Foundation was established by Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen in 1947 and has supported the Symphony for more than 60 years. In that time, the Foundation has been a loyal donor to the orchestra in times of prosperity and an invaluable champion during difficult times. The Foundation has made extraordinary gifts to help sustain the orchestra, including contributions to Hurricane Harvey relief and to the Symphony’s Endowment Campaign.
The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts
The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts is one of the best-known names in Houston philanthropy and has been one of the Symphony’s greatest champions. One of three charitable trusts with independent boards created by the Cullen Foundation in the 1970s, it furthers the philanthropic legacy of Houston legend Hugh Roy Cullen. The Trust has contributed more than $9 million to the Houston Symphony since 1984, supporting almost every aspect of the orchestra’s activity.
The Hearst Foundations
In a remarkable gesture of support during the COVID-19 crisis, The Hearst Foundations granted $250,000 to the Houston Symphony, part of a $50 million effort benefiting 100 non-profits nationwide. William Randolph Hearst III and Virginia Hearst Randt announced these unprecedented grants, aimed at aiding the Symphony’s perseverance through challenging times. Additionally, the Hearst Foundations have been a enduring supporter of the Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement initiatives.
Houston Symphony League
The Houston Symphony League (HSL) is an organization of committed volunteers who have supported the Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony since 1937 in service to the Houston Symphony’s audience development, education, community outreach, and fundraising efforts.
The Humphreys Foundation
For more than 30 years, The Humphreys Foundation’s grants have been instrumental in allowing the Symphony to bring high-quality artistic programming to Houston. Under the leadership of President Linda Bertman, the charitable foundation based in Liberty County has underwritten several iconic Symphony concerts, including: operas like Abduction from the Seraglio, Fidelio, Bluebeard’s Castle , and Oedipus Rex; the HD Odyssey trilogy (The Planets , The Earth, The Cosmos) and the 2017–18 Season performance of The Rite of Spring; as well as festivals like the two-week Schumann Festival in 2020, and Carmina burana
KTRK ABC-13*
KTRK ABC-13 is the leading local television news station serving the Greater Houston area, known for its comprehensive news coverage, entertainment programming, and community engagement. As the Official Television Partner of the Houston Symphony, KTRK ABC-13 plays a pivotal role in amplifying the Symphony’s reach and impact. This partnership exemplifies KTRK ABC-13’s commitment to supporting local arts and culture and enriching the lives of Houstonians through the power of music.
Corporate, Foundation, & Government Partners
Marvy Finger Family Foundation
MARVY FINGER FAMILY FOUNDATION
Marvy Finger was a prominent figure in the real estate industry for over six decades, widely respected not only for his business success but also for his philanthropic contributions to civic, medical, and educational institutions throughout Houston. A native Houstonian, Mr. Finger was passionate about creating opportunities for motivated students to pursue further education and career advancement. The Marvy Finger Family Foundation generously supports the Houston Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement initiatives.
Texas Commission on the Arts**
The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is a state agency dedicated to promoting the arts in Texas. Established to support and enrich the state’s cultural landscape, TCA provides grants, resources, and initiatives to artists, organizations, and communities. Through its programs, the agency fosters creative expression, economic development, and educational opportunities in the arts. With a focus on accessibility and inclusivity, the TCA works to ensure that all Texans, regardless of background, can experience and participate in the vibrant artistic culture of the state.
Vitol, Inc.
Vitol is a global energy and commodities company with a presence across the energy spectrum: from crude oil and refined products to power, natural gas, renewables, and carbon. For more than 55 years, Vitol has served the world’s energy markets, trading and distributing energy safely and responsibly to growing economies around the world. From 40 offices worldwide, we seek to add value across the energy supply chain by deploying our scale and market understanding to help solve the energy challenges of today and investing in energy solutions for the future.
Bank of America
$150,000+ $100,000+
Bank of America is committed to making financial lives better through the power of every connection. They deliver on this through their responsible growth strategy, which emphasizes being a great place to work for the nearly 2,500 employees in Houston and sharing their success with our local community. Whether it is owning a home, starting a business, building savings and credit, or making a difference, Bank of America connects communities to the lending, investing, and giving they need to remain vibrant and vital. Bank of America is the title sponsor of the Bank of America POPS Series.
City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board **
The Miller Theatre Advisory Board (MTAB) serves as a steward of both public and private funds, ensuring the delivery of professional-caliber performances—free of charge—at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. Its mission is to enhance the cultural vibrancy of Houston by offering diverse and enriching experiences to both the city’s residents and its visitors.
The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation
Founded in 2009, the Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation is a family-run private foundation that supports Houston-based non-profit organizations that provide health, education, and sustainability services in Houston and Harris County. The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation has distributed more than $22.5 million in grants to support, encourage, and assist several local organizations. Since the Houston Symphony’s 2018–19 Season, The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation has supported a wide array of our Education and Community Engagement initiatives.
Frost Bank
Frost Bank and the Houston Symphony—two institutions that have served Texans for more than a century—are happy to partner on the Frost Bank Gold Classics Series for the 2025–26 Season. Frost has helped generations of Texans achieve their financial goals for more than 155 years. Frost has consistently been ranked highest in customer satisfaction in Texas by the J.D. Power U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study. It is honored to support communities across the state of Texas.
Corporate, Foundation, & Government Partners
Guarantor
Houston Methodist
M.D. ANDERSON FOUNDATION
$100,000+
Houston Methodist is a dedicated supporter of the Houston Symphony as the Official Health Care Provider and underwriter of six concert weekends throughout the 2025–26 Season. Houston Methodist offers unique benefits to the Houston Symphony’s musicians through its Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM). As the only center of its kind in the country, CPAM is composed of a specialized group of more than 100 elite physicians working collaboratively to address the specific demands placed on artists so they can do what they do best—enrich the lives of Houston audiences.
Kalsi Engineering
Founded in 1978 by Dr. M.S. Kalsi, Kalsi Engineering, Inc. is a high-tech consulting firm based in Sugar Land, Texas. Specializing in mechanical engineering, the company offers services in design, analysis, research, and testing for industries such as power generation, aerospace, oil, petrochemical, and defense. Kalsi Engineering is renowned for delivering cost-effective, innovative solutions, backed by a skilled team and a strong record of industry milestones, technical publications, patents, and new products. Their work continues to provide lasting benefits to clients worldwide.
M.D. Anderson Foundation
The Houston Symphony is grateful to the M.D. Anderson Foundation, a dedicated supporter since the 1970s, for supporting the Symphony’s grand scale musical projects and helping us adapt to pandemic challenges. Founded by Monroe Dunaway Anderson in 1936, the Foundation is renowned for its role in creating the Texas Medical Center and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and supports organizations enhancing the quality of life for Houstonians. The Houston Symphony thanks the Trustees of the Foundation for its decades of support and salutes them for their service to our city.
Oliver Wyman
Oliver Wyman is a leading global management consulting firm with offices in more than 50 cities across 30 countries and combines deep industry experience with specialized expertise in strategy, operations, risk management, and organization transformation. The company devotes substantial time and resources to creating positive social impact and works with non-profit organizations worldwide. Oliver Wyman has provided consulting services to the Houston Symphony since 2015. Please visit the company at OliverWyman.com to learn more.
PaperCity*
PaperCity Magazine is a Texas-based luxury lifestyle publication covering fashion, art, design, dining, real estate, and culture. With editions in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and other major cities, the magazine showcases the definitive source for influential sophisticated trends and exclusive events. Whether in print or online, PaperCity delivers the best of Texas style and society.
PNC**
For 160 years, PNC has been committed to providing its clients with great service and powerful financial expertise to help them meet their financial goals. As one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, PNC has a longstanding history of supporting not only our customers but also our communities, employees, and shareholders. PNC is proud to be an ongoing sponsor of the Houston Symphony’s PNC Family Series. This commitment is rooted in the belief that involvement in the arts enriches lives and fosters a stronger, more vibrant community in Houston.
Sarofim Foundation
Sarofim Foundation was established by Fayez Sarofim, prior to his death, in gratitude for the opportunities this country and Houston provided him as an emigrant from his native Egypt. Throughout his life Mr. Sarofim exhibited an unshakable faith in what was possible through a steadfast and a disciplined approach to excellence, hard work, and trust in others. These are the same principles that guide Sarofim Foundation forward today. The Sarofim Foundation Board is honored to build on Mr. Sarofim’s history of investing in our community in powerful, intentional ways.
Corporate, Foundation, & Government Partners
Amerapex
Baker Botts L.L.P.*
Carruth Foundation
Chevron**
CKP*
EOG Resources
Shell USA, Inc.
Bulgari
The Events Company*
Shell USA, Inc., a longtime leadership contributor to the Houston Symphony, underwrites the Houston Symphony’s Favorite Masters Series of classical subscription concerts as part of the company’s continuing commitment to the communities it serves. Since it was founded, Shell USA, Inc. has invested more than $1 billion in charitable, cultural, and educational organizations throughout Houston and the United States. Shell’s support of culture and the arts encompasses a wide range of symphony, opera, and theater groups, as well as the visual arts and science museums.
Wan Bridge
Wan Bridge (WB) is a Texas-based, technology-driven real estate company specializing in build-to-rent (BTR) communities in high-demand cities. Since 2016, WB has delivered high-end homes with hassle-free living, innovating “from Land to Living.” Our family of companies includes W Land Development, managing land acquisition, development, and contracting; AiWB, leveraging advanced construction technologies; and TBD Management, providing full-service property operations. This vertical integration ensures quality design, thoughtful amenities, and service-first management—giving residents more time for what matters and employees greater ownership, opportunity, and growth within the Company’s future.
Houston Christian University
Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo**
John P. McGovern Foundation**
Kinder Morgan Foundation**
Kirkland & Ellis
The Lancaster Hotel*
Nexus Health Systems
Oxy**
The Powell Foundation**
Silver Eagle Beverages
Tito’s Handmade Vodka**
The Melbern G. & Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation**
H-E-B/H-E-B Tournament of Champions**
Houston Symphony Chorus Endowment
The Master Caregiver Company**
MetroNational
Neiman Marcus*
One Market Square Garage*
Rand Group, LLC*
Sewell
Ruth & Ted Bauer Family Foundation**
City Kitchen*
Gorman’s Uniform Service
Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation
Jackson & Company*
Marine Foods Express, Ltd.
Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits
Suntory Global
Silver Eagle Distributors Houston, LLC
The Vivian L. Smith Foundation**
Sterling-Turner Foundation
Truist
Univision Houston & Amor 106.5FM
Vinson & Elkins LLP
$100,000+ $50,000+ $25,000+ $15,000+
USI Southwest
Valentino
Corporate, Foundation, & Government Partners
Supporter
American Tank and Vessel, Inc.
George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation**
William E. & Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Foundation**
Houston First Corporation*
Benefactor
Beck Redden LLP
Husch Blackwell
J-Bar-M Barbecue*
Keith & Mattie Stevenson Foundation
Patron
Greentree Fund
The Hood-Barrow Foundation
Mark Kamin & Associates
National Endowment for the Arts
New Timmy Chan Corporation
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, L.L.P.
Quantum Energy Partners
The Blanche Stastny Foundation
Leon Jaworski Foundation
Nuveau Plastic Surgery
Strake Foundation**
$10,000+
The Radoff Family Foundation
Beth Wolff Realtors
$5,000+
University of St. Thomas*
Union Pacific**
Wortham Insurance & Risk Management
KPMG US Foundation, Inc.
Nippon Steel North America, Inc.
$5,000 and below
The Schissler Foundation * Includes in-kind support **Education and Community Engagement Support
Legacy Society
The Legacy Society honors those who have included the Houston Symphony Endowment in their long-term estate plans through a bequest in a will, life-income gifts, or other deferred-giving arrangements.
For more information, please contact Hadia Mawlawi, Endowment and Planned Giving Officer, at hadia.mawlawi@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8532.
CRESCENDO CIRCLE
Dr. and Mrs. George* J. Abdo
Ms. Margery S. Anderson
Priscilla R. Angly
Ann & Jonathan Ayre
Myra W. Barber
James Barton
James Bell
Dr. Joan H. Bitar
Cyndi & Carl Bohannon
Zarine Meherwan Boyce*
James* & S. Dale Brannon
Nancy & Walter Bratic
Joe Brazzatti
Desi Brown
Terry Ann Brown
Eugene Bruns*
Mary Kathryn Campion & Stephen Liston
Drs. Dennis & Susan Carlyle
Dominic Cellitti
Janet F. Clark
Virginia A. Clark
Mr. William E. Colburn
Elisabeth DeWitts
Andria N. Elkins
Jean & Jack* Ellis
(as of January 1, 2026)
The Aubrey* & Sylvia Farb Family
Eugene Fong
Aggie L. Foster
Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn
Evan B. Glick
Jo A. and Billie Jo Graves
Mr. Mario Gudmundsson
Claudio J. Gutiérrez
Deborah Happ & Richard Rost
Don L. Harris
Marilyn & Robert M. Hermance
Dr. Charles Johnson & Tammie Johnson
Dr. Rita Justice
Mary W. Kenner
Dr. James E. & Betty W. Key
Carey Kirkpatrick
Mr. & Mrs. Calvin Leeke
Mr.* & Mrs. U. J. LeGrange
Joella & Steven P. Mach
Martha & Alexander Matiuk
Michelle & Jack Matzer
Dr. & Mrs. Malcolm L. Mazow
MEMBERS (as of January 1, 2026)
Farida Abjani
Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey B. Aron
George* & Betty Bashen
Ermy Borlenghi Bonfield
Zu Broadwater*
Mr. Christopher & Mrs. Erin Brunner
David Neal Bush
Cheryl & Sam* Byington
Sylvia J. Carroll
Dr. Robert N. Chanon
William J. Clayton & Margaret A. Hughes
Mr.* and Mrs. Byron Cooley
The Honorable* & Mrs.*
William Crassas
Dr. Lida S. Dahm & Mr. Karl
A. Dahm
Leslie Barry Davidson
Cynthia Diller*
Mary Seaton Dix*
Susan Feickert
Mrs. Thomas C. Garrett
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Gendel
Christine E.* Michael B.
George
Mauro H. Gimenez & Connie
A. Coulomb
Robert M. Griswold
Randolph Lee Groninger*
Mr. and Mrs.* Jerry L. Hamaker
Timothy Hogan & Elaine
Anthony
Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth
Dr. Edward J. & Mrs. Patti* Hurwitz
Dr. Kenneth J. Hyde
Marya McLean Ingram*
Walter G. Jackson
Catherine & Brian James
Barbara & Raymond Kalmans
Mr. Samuel D.* and Mrs. Cele S.* Keeper
Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk
Marc Levin
Kerry Levine
Samuel J. Levine*
Mrs. Lucy Lewis
David Ray Malone & David J. Sloat
Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H.
Margolis
Jay* & Shirley* Marks
James G. Matthews
Mary Ann & David McKeithan
Dr. Will McLendon*
Catherine Jane Merchant*
Sidney & Ione Moran
Richard & Juliet Moynihan
David Peavy & Dr. Stephen McCauley
Barbara & Pat McCelvey
Bill & Karinne McCullough
Muffy & Mike* McLanahan
Dr. Tracey Samuels & Mr. Robert McNamara
Mr. & Mrs. D. Bradley* McWilliams
Dr. Georgette M. Michko
Dr. Robert M. Mihalo*
Alfred Cameron Mitchell*
Mr. & Mrs. Marvin H. Mueller
Dr. John Oehler & Dr.
Dorothy Oehler
Gloria G. Pryzant
Fay & George Rizzo
Dr. Douglas & Alicia Rodenberger
Constance E. Roy
Mr. Ed Schneider & Mrs. Toni Oplt
Donna Scott
Charles & Andrea Seay
Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer
Michael J. Shawiak
Louis* & Mary Kay Snyder
Helen & David Stacy
Frank Shroeder Stanford in memory of Dr. Walter O. Stanford
Jay Steinfeld & Barbara Winthrop
Janet Moynihan*
Gretchen Ann Myers
Patience Myers
Aprill Nelson
Ms. Elizabeth Nelson
Mr.* & Mrs. Richard C. Nelson
Bobbie Newman
John & Leslie Niemand
Ms. Leslie Nossaman
Very Rev. John Onstott
Macky Osorio
Susan & Edward Osterberg
Mr. & Mrs. Edmund & Megan Pantuliano
Christine & Red Pastorek
Peter* & Nina Peropoulos
Linda Tarpley Peterson
Sara M. Peterson
Mrs. Jenny Popatia in memory of Dr. Tajdin R. Popatia
Geraldine Smith Priest*
Dana Puddy
Patrick T. Quinn
Liz & Dennis Regenscheid
Ed & Janet* Rinehart
Mr. Floyd W. Robinson
Walter Ross*
Tina Raham Stewart, in memory of Jonathan Stewart
Mike Stude
Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor
Elba L. Villarreal
Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D.
Stephen & Kristine Wallace
Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber
Robert G. Weiner & Toni Blankmann
Vicki West, in honor of Hans Graf
Gary & Shari Winston
Susan Gail Wood
Jo Dee Wright
Ellen A. Yarrell
Anonymous (3)
$100,000+ Up to $99,999
Marilyn Ross Miles & Stephen Warren Miles
Foundation
Dr. & Mrs. Kazuo Shimada
Leslie Siller
Lisa & Jerry Simon
Miles O. Smith
Tad & Suzanne Smith
Colden Anthony Snow
Marie Speziale
Mr. Rex Spikes
Nancy A. Strohmer
Emily H. & David K. Terry
Jean & Doug Thomas
Stephen G. Tipps
Ann K. Tornyos
Steve Tostengard* in memory of Ardyce Tostengard
Jana Vander Lee
Bill & Agnete Vaughan
Dean B. Walker
Geoffrey Westergaard
Nancy B. Willerson
Jennifer R. Wittman
Lorraine & Ed* Wulfe
David & Tara Wuthrich
Katherine & Mark Yzaguirre
Anonymous (10)
*Deceased
Houston Symphony Endowment
The Houston Symphony Endowment ensures the Symphony’s long-term sustainability by funding key priorities like daily operations costs, Education and Community Engagement initiatives, and affordable ticket pricing. The Symphony’s goal is to grow the Endowment by $40 million by 2030, and your support can make a lasting difference. To learn how you can support the Endowment through a gift or bequest, contact: Amanda Dinitz, Director of Principal and Endowment Gifts, at amanda.dinitz@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8541.
Music Director: Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair
Currently held by Juraj Valčuha
Concertmaster: Max Levine Chair
Currently held by Yoonshin Song
Assistant Concertmaster: Fondren Foundation Chair
Currently held by Qi Ming
Associate Concertmaster: Ellen E. Kelley Chair
Currently vacant
Principal Cello: Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Chair
Currently held by Brinton Averil Smith
Endowed Funds
American General Fund (AIG)
The Brown Foundation Guest Pianist Fund
The Brown Foundation Miller Outdoor Theatre Fund in memory of Hanni and Stewart Orton, Legacy Society Co-Founders
Margaret and Alice Brown Fund for Education
Barbara J. Burger
Janet F. Clark Fund
The Cullen Foundation’s Maestro Fund
The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Fund for Creative Initiatives
The Margaret and James Elkins Foundation Fund
El Paso Corporation Endowment (formerly Tenneco)
Endowment Donors
Philip Bahr Endowment
David Bintliff- Messiah Concert Fund
Walter and Nancy Bratic Fund
Associate Principal Cello:
Jane and Robert Cizik Chair
Currently held by Christopher French
Principal Flute:
General Maurice Hirsch Chair
Currently held by Aralee Dorough
Principal Oboe: Lucy Binyon Stude Chair
Currently held by Jonathan Fischer
English Horn: Barbara and Pat McCelvey Chair
Currently held by Adam Dinitz
Principal Clarinet: Bobbie Nau Chair
Currently held by Mark Nuccio
Marvy Finger Family Foundation Fund for Education and Community Engagement
The Virginia Lee Elverson Trust Fund
William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education Programs
The General and Mrs. Maurice Hirsch Memorial Concert Fund in memory of Theresa Meyer and Jules Hirsch, beloved parents of General Maurice Hirsch, and Rosetta Hirsch Weil and Josie Hirsch Bloch, beloved sisters of General Maurice Hirsch
Houston Arts Combined Endowment Foundation
Houston Symphony Chorus Fund
Principal Horn: Mr. and Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Chair
Currently held by William VerMeulen
Fourth Horn: Barbara J. Burger Chair
Currently held by Ian Mayton
Principal Trumpet: George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Chair
Currently held by Mark Hughes
Executive Director, CEO: Margaret Alkek Williams Chair
Currently held by Gary Ginstling
Dr. MarieLuise Kalsi Fund
Joan and Marvin Kaplan Fund
Mary R. Lewis Fund for Piano Performance
M.D. Anderson Foundation Fund
Mary Lynn and Steve Marks Fund
Barbara and Pat McCelvey Fund
Monroe L. Mendelsohn Jr. Fund
George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Summer Concerts Fund
National Endowment for the Arts Fund
Nations Bank Endowment Fund
C. Howard Pieper Foundation Fund
Walter W. Sapp Fund, Legacy Society Co-Founder
$250,000+
Fayez Sarofim Guest Violinist Fund through the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts
The Schissler Foundation Fund
Spec’s Charitable Foundation Salute to Educators Concert Fund
The Micajah S. Stude Special Production Fund
Bobby and Phoebe Tudor Fund
Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Endowed Fund
The Wortham Foundation Classical Series Fund in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham
The Brown Foundation, inc.- In Memory of General Maurice Hirsch
Lawrence E. Carlton, MD Endowment Fund for Youth Programs
Robert Cizik Endowment Virginia Clark Endowment
$50,000-$249,999
Gene Dewhurst Endowment
DuPont Corporation Endowment
Eaton Endowment
Charles Engelhard Foundation
$50,000-$249,999 Endowment Donors
Marvy Finger Endowment
Lila-Gene George Endowment
General Education Programs
Claire Glassell Endowment
Stephen and Mariglyn Glenn Endowment
Trudy Guinee Endowment
Dr. Ken Hyde and Dr. Gary Hollingsworth Endowment
Houston Trust Endowment
JP Morgan Chase Endowment
Katherine Sloan Thomas Trust Endowment
TRUSTEES
James H. Lee, President
David J.M. Key
KHOU-TV Channel 11 Endowment
Devorah and David Krieger
Dion Laurent Endowment
Max and Rochelle Levit Endowment
Mach Family Audience Development Fund
Rodney and Judy Margolis Endowment
Jay and Shirley Marks Endowment
Marian and Speros Martel Foundation
Ajay Khurana David Krieger
Walter J. Morrison Endowment Fund
David Nussman, Houston Symphony Chorus
Orton Family Endowment
Daniel Prosser Endowment
SBC Endowment
James and Helen Shaffer Endowment
Spectra Energy Corporation Endowment, Formerly Duke Energy
Studdard and Melby Endowment
Scott Wise
Texas Eastern Endowment
L. Proctor and Alice Thomas Endowment
Fredric and Betsy Weber Endowment
Williams Stamps Farish Fund
Williams Companies, Inc Endowment (Transcontinental Gas Pipeline)
Young Associates Council
The Houston Symphony’s Young Associates Council (YAC) is a philanthropic membership group for young professionals, music aficionados, and performing arts supporters 45 and under who are interested in exploring symphonic music within Houston’s flourishing artistic landscape. To join or learn more about the YAC, please contact Vivian Gonzalez, Annual Giving Officer, at vivian.gonzalez@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8535.
YOUNG ASSOCIATES LEADERSHIP
Justin Stenberg, Chair
Laurel Weathers, Vice Chair
YAC
- CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE (as of January 1, 2026)
Christopher & Laura
Armstrong
David Breece III
Eric D. Brueggeman
Lindsay Buchanan Fisher# & Brian Fisher
Heaven Chee
Vicky Dominguez
Joseph Von Edwins
YAC - VIRTUOSO CIRCLE
Denise & Brandon Davis
Dr. Mhair Dekmezian
Meesha & Nick Gruy
Juan Herrera
Jonathan T. Jan#
Veronica Juarez
Ashley and Andrew Kang
YAC
Kendrick Alridge
Saba and Ben Blanding
Catherine Bratic
Jasmine Bolton
Michelle Ghitman & David Chaluh
Joseph Chang
Julie and David S. Charles
Dickinson
Andria N. Elkins
Carolyn & Patrick Gaidos
Rebecca & Andrew Gould
Claudio Gutiérrez
Lori Harrington & Parashar Saikia
Elaine & Jeff Hiller#
Kirby & David Lodholz#
Elissa & Jarrod Martin
Lindsay Buchanan Fisher, Communications Chair
Liana Schwaitzberg, Membership Chair
Amanda Lenertz & Chadd Mikulin
Marisa & Tandy Lofland
Aprill Nelson#
Liana & Andrew Schwaitzberg#
Ryan Silverman
Aerin & Quentin Smith
Justin Stenberg#
$5,000+
Stephanie Weber & Paul Muri
Kathy Zhang-Rutledge & Mack Wilson
Angela Wu & Kurt Wilson Anonymous
$2,500-$4,999
Maxine Olefsky & Justin Kenney#
Kat Kunz
Andy Lee
Allegra Lilly & Robin Kesselman#
Trevor Myers
Anna Robshaw
Carlos Sierra
Melanie Smith
Young Son
Bryce Swinford
Laurel & Matthew Weathers#
Emily and Alex Dvorscak
Nicole Fingeroot
Amy Goodpasture
Cary Hess
Lauren & C. Birk Hutchens
Jessica Marshall
Haydée del Calvo & Esteban Montero
David Moyer
Alice & Dennis O’Brien
Renee Palisi
Blake Plaster
Sam Richards
Katie Salvatore
Anthony Sanchez Rodriguez Lee#
Leonardo Soto
Gabriela Tantillo
$1,500-$2,499
Alexander Webb Anonymous
# Steering Committee
Jesse H. Jones Hall Renovation Donors
The Houston Symphony is grateful to those who have generously provided leadership support to the Friends of Jones Hall’s campaign to provide much-needed improvements to the patron experience at Jones Hall.
(as of July 1, 2025)
Nancy and Charles Davidson
The Brown Foundation, Inc. The City of Houston / Houston First Corporation Sarofim Foundation Margaret Alkek Williams
Janice H. Barrow*
The Robert and Jane Cizik Family
Janet F. Clark
ConocoPhillips The Cullen Foundation The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts
M.D. Anderson Foundation
Anne and Albert Chao
Fondren Foundation Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks
Past Leadership
PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY SOCIETY
Mrs. Edwin B. Parker
Miss Ima Hogg
Mrs. H. M. Garwood
Joseph A. Mullen, M.D.
Joseph S. Smith
Walter H. Walne
H. R. Cullen
Gen. Maurice Hirsch
Charles F. Jones
Fayez Sarofim
John T. Cater
Richard G. Merrill
Ellen Elizardi Kelley
John D. Platt
E.C. Vandagrift Jr.
J. Hugh Roff Jr.
PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY LEAGUE
Miss Ima Hogg
Mrs. John F. Grant
Mrs. J. R. Parten
Mrs. Andrew E. Rutter
Mrs. Aubrey Leno Carter
Mrs. Stuart Sherar
Mrs. Julian Barrows
Ms. Hazel Ledbetter
Mrs. Albert P. Jones
Mrs. Ben A. Calhoun
Mrs. James Griffith Lawhon
Mrs. Olaf LaCour Olsen
Mrs. Ralph Ellis Gunn
Mrs. Leon Jaworski
Mrs. Garrett R. Tucker Jr.
Mrs. M. T. Launius Jr.
Mrs. Thompson McCleary
Mrs. Theodore W. Cooper
Mrs. Allen W. Carruth
Mrs. David Hannah Jr.
Mary Louis Kister
Mrs. Edward W. Kelley Jr.
Mrs. John W. Herndon
Mrs. Charles Franzen
Mrs. Harold R. DeMoss Jr.
Mrs. Edward H. Soderstrom
Mrs. Lilly Kucera Andress
Ms. Marilou Bonner
Mrs. W. Harold Sellers
Mrs. Harry H. Gendel
Mrs. Robert M. Eury
Mrs. E. C. Vandagrift Jr.
The Elkins Foundation Houston Endowment Barbara and Pat McCelvey
The Shirley and David Toomim Family The Wortham Foundation, Inc.
FRIENDS OF JONES HALL
Beverly and James Postl Vivian L. Smith Foundation
Robert M. Hermance
Gene McDavid
Janice H. Barrow
Barry C. Burkholder
Rodney H. Margolis
Jeffrey B. Early
Michael E. Shannon
Ed Wulfe
Mrs. J. Stephen Marks
Terry Ann Brown
Nancy Strohmer
Mary Ann McKeithan
Ann Cavanaugh
Mrs. James A. Shaffer
Lucy H. Lewis
Catherine McNamara
Shirley McGregor Pearson
Paula Jarrett
Cora Sue Mach
Kathi Rovere
Norma Jean Brown
Barbara McCelvey
Lori Sorcic Jansen
Nancy B. Willerson
Bobby and Phoebe Tudor
Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor
Jesse B. Tutor
Robert B. Tudor III
Robert A. Peiser
Steven P. Mach
Janet F. Clark
John Rydman
Jane Clark
Nancy Littlejohn
Donna Shen
Dr. Susan Snider Osterberg
Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein
Vicki West
Mrs. Jesse Tutor
Darlene Clark
Beth Wolff
Maureen Higdon
Fran Fawcett Peterson
Leslie Siller
Cheryl Byington
Mary Fusillo
Heidi Rockecharlie
BY
THOMAS TAKARO
Across
Champagne maker
E. Lee
Author of “Look Homeward, Angel”
Yours, to 64-Across
Busy as Not together
Verdi doomed lover
Donizetti doomed lover
English town known for its salt springs and its racetracks
Long-legged waders
Place to view the Grand Canyon
“Zip- -Doo-Dah” (song by Allie Wrubel)
Time before it gets too hot: Abbr.
Saint-Saëns doomed lover
Britten doomed lover
Notable period of time
Like 7-Down
Number of acts in “Tristan und Isolde”
Weapon of choice for the doomed lover of 29-Across
Merchants in the old west
Child’s response to “Are not!”
Under siege, maybe
NPR host and Pink Martini singer
Shapiro
Another Verdi doomed lover
Bizet doomed lover
Org. celebrated in “Victory at Sea”
Old sailor
Rap physician?
Prima ballerina
Some native Canadians
Puccini doomed lover
Debussy doomed lover
“Stille ” (popular carol)
Egyptian goddess whose temple is the setting for Act III of “Aida”
Piece of a roof or a floor
Over-used
Boris Godunov, for one “ Death” (from Peer Gynt)
Down
Man- (as opposed to all-natural) West Texas sch.
Hart (director of “My Fair Lady” and “Camelot”)
One-named Japanese-born violinist
Make of pickup
Duck in “Peter and the Wolf”
Official language of Bangladesh
Tiny water works?
Legendary conductor Bruno Word in the formal title of many pieces of music
“Le des cygnes” (Tchaikovsky ballet) Day for a concert, often: Abbr.
Amtrak posting: Abbr.
Film actor Estevez
Common Market inits.
Thomas (author of “Death in Venice”)
Live (one way to listen to a concert)
Conductor and composer Boulez “A in the Sun” (Lorraine Hansberry play)
“I’ve been here before” feeling One of the Musketeers
Nigella (British TV cook and writer) Byrnes of “77 Sunset Strip”
Cap on federal spending
Neighbor of Peru and Chile: Abbr.
Stamp for a CPA
Early video game systems
A way to lose weight
Kind of sale
Chinese “way”
Soprano Tebaldi
Genuine
Film director Kazan (“On the Waterfront”)
Non divisi: Abbr.
Eric (“Monty Python” actor and writer)
Souvenir shirts
Explosive stuff, for short Scull propeller
Bot. or Ecol.
Neighbor of Syr.
THOMAS TAKARO
Tom Takaro was librarian of the Houston Symphony for 24 years. One of his most memorable experiences as librarian was surviving Tropical Storm Allison, in 2001. He is now happily retired, and spends his time catching up on his reading, traveling, and writing crossword puzzles. He makes puzzles for Marcato, the quarterly newsletter of the Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association, and his puzzles have also been published in the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times
Photo by Robyn Fellows
At Still Austin, we make award winning whiskey completely in house, from grain all the way to glass using only grains sourced from local Texas farmers. Our whiskey is distilled in the heart of Texas, where the wild weather ages our spirits to perfection. Taste The difference for yourself.
